Recent Blog Entries:
Wednesday, May 1 2013, 10:29 AM Monday, April 8 2013, 04:07 PM Friday, April 5 2013, 05:15 PM Friday, February 22 2013, 09:41 AM Sunday, February 17 2013, 04:41 PM Friday, February 15 2013, 09:17 PM Friday, February 8 2013, 11:06 AM Thursday, February 7 2013, 12:22 AM Sunday, January 27 2013, 06:38 PM Wednesday, January 23 2013, 09:44 PM
Blog Archive
Wednesday, May 1 2013, 10:29 AM Monday, April 8 2013, 04:07 PM Friday, April 5 2013, 05:15 PM Friday, February 22 2013, 09:41 AM Sunday, February 17 2013, 04:41 PM Friday, February 15 2013, 09:17 PM Friday, February 8 2013, 11:06 AM Thursday, February 7 2013, 12:22 AM Sunday, January 27 2013, 06:38 PM Wednesday, January 23 2013, 09:44 PM
Blog Archive
Praise for the
Milkweed Triptych
"A major talent... I can't wait to see more."
—George R. R. Martin
"Mad English warlocks battling twisted Nazi psychics? Yes please, thank you. Tregillis's debut has a white-knuckle plot, beautiful descriptions, and complex characters-- an unstoppable Vickers of a novel."
—Cory Doctorow on Bitter Seeds
"Ian Tregillis triumphantly concludes his astonishing, brilliant, pulse-pounding debut trilogy, The Milkweed Triptych."
—Cory Doctorow on Necessary Evil
"Tregillis' conclusion of the Milkweed Triptych is the pièce de résistance of the series. Necessary Evil is a perfect marriage of science fiction, fantasy and alternate history."
—RT Book Reviews (4.5 stars, Top Pick) on Necessary Evil
"Darkly fascinating…A thoroughly fascinating conclusion to an imaginative tour de force."
—Kirkus on Necessary Evil
"A cross between the devious, character-driven spy fiction of early John le Carré and the mad science fantasy of the X-Men... Despite the jaw-dropping backdrop and oblique plotting, the narrative is driven by character and personal circumstance...
Grim indeed, yet eloquent and utterly compelling."
Grim indeed, yet eloquent and utterly compelling."
—Kirkus on The Coldest War
"The characters come alive via [Tregillis's] imaginative dialogue and his storyline will keep readers spellbound and on the edge of their seats with an intense sci-fi/alternate history thriller plot."
—RT Book Reviews (4.5 stars, Top Pick) on The Coldest War
"Well-drawn characters and a feel for time and place make this an excellent journey into an alternate Britain."
—Library Journal on Bitter Seeds
"Engrossing... Tregillis ably mixes cold war paranoia with his mythology."
—Publishers Weekly on The Coldest War
Close
Overheard At Work Today
Recent Blog Entries:
The End: NECESSARY EVIL Is Out! - 5/1/2013, 10:29 AM Because I Haven't Posted About tDCS In A While - 4/8/2013, 04:07 PM Announcing the NECESSARY EVIL Signing Tour - 4/5/2013, 05:15 PM Nuclear Deterrence in a Blood Magic World - 2/22/2013, 09:41 AM Guest Post #2 at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/17/2013, 04:41 PM Guest Post at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/15/2013, 09:17 PM A Conversation with Charlie Stross - 2/8/2013, 11:06 AM NOW OUT in the UK: THE COLDEST WAR - 2/7/2013, 12:22 AM Clarion Is Accepting Applications for the Class of 2013 - 1/27/2013, 06:38 PM Holy Smokes! Cover Art for Something More Than Night - 1/23/2013, 09:44 PM
Show all blog entries
The End: NECESSARY EVIL Is Out! - 5/1/2013, 10:29 AM Because I Haven't Posted About tDCS In A While - 4/8/2013, 04:07 PM Announcing the NECESSARY EVIL Signing Tour - 4/5/2013, 05:15 PM Nuclear Deterrence in a Blood Magic World - 2/22/2013, 09:41 AM Guest Post #2 at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/17/2013, 04:41 PM Guest Post at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/15/2013, 09:17 PM A Conversation with Charlie Stross - 2/8/2013, 11:06 AM NOW OUT in the UK: THE COLDEST WAR - 2/7/2013, 12:22 AM Clarion Is Accepting Applications for the Class of 2013 - 1/27/2013, 06:38 PM Holy Smokes! Cover Art for Something More Than Night - 1/23/2013, 09:44 PM
Show all blog entries
Tuesday, March 1 2011, 05:19 PM
This is the kind of conversation I occasionally hear in the hallway:
"...so I found a company and got a price, but in the end I decided I just didn't need to own that much tantalum."
The amusing thing, from my point of view, was that it made complete sense in context.
Plus the fact that my own reaction was to think, "Bummer. Pity it's so expensive."
Close PermalinkComments (5)
But where will I get unobtanium? -
Adrienne, Tuesday, March 1 2011, 07:22 PM
I think I want to start element collecting. If your coworker decides he'd like to own half as much tantalum, let me know.
I think I want to start element collecting. If your coworker decides he'd like to own half as much tantalum, let me know.
Re: But where will I get unobtanium? -
Ian, Tuesday, March 1 2011, 11:09 PM
Well, good luck on the unobtainium front. As the world's largest consumer of said element, all I can say is GOOD LUCK.
I can't go into details -- I'm sure you'll understand -- but I use a lot of unobtainum for my, uh, "projects".
I have needs. Expensive needs.
However, you might consider seeking something cheaper, like nonexistium or baloneyum.
Well, good luck on the unobtainium front. As the world's largest consumer of said element, all I can say is GOOD LUCK.
I can't go into details -- I'm sure you'll understand -- but I use a lot of unobtainum for my, uh, "projects".
I have needs. Expensive needs.
However, you might consider seeking something cheaper, like nonexistium or baloneyum.
Hahaha -
Susan, Wednesday, March 2 2011, 02:53 AM
I love it. (Especially the comment about unobtanium. Whoever let that name get into AVATAR deserves...well, they deserve something awful, but I'm too nice to actually come up with anything truly wicked.)
I wish I could share my own hilarious science comment, but...I'm conjuring nothing. Alas -- when (if?) I remember something, I'll hie back and add it.
I love it. (Especially the comment about unobtanium. Whoever let that name get into AVATAR deserves...well, they deserve something awful, but I'm too nice to actually come up with anything truly wicked.)
I wish I could share my own hilarious science comment, but...I'm conjuring nothing. Alas -- when (if?) I remember something, I'll hie back and add it.
They should be knocking on your door any minute now. -
Scott Denning, Wednesday, March 2 2011, 02:28 PM
Dude -- you've revealed *far* too much about your job in this post.
Tantalum is obviously the crucial component in producing the Tantalus Field, which as any good Trekkie can tell you is the wicked alien technology that hot "Captain's woman" Marlena shows OurKirk how to use to eliminate rivals in the episode "Mirror, Mirror".
So with that slip, we know that around your office they are working on technologies to make undesirables disappear at the touch of a well-manicured fingernail upon a cheesily-crafted plastic button.
But that is just the beginning of the implications -- since the Tantalus Field was developed in the mirror universe (you know, the ISS Enterprise, the Terran Empire rather than The Federation, OtherSpock looking sharp in a beard, Chekov screaming in the agony booth)(and Uhura's midriff. let's never forget Uhara's midriff), discussion of tantalum and the need therefor suggests strongly that y'all have Broken Through and are parallel-'verse surfing.
No other conclusion seems logically supportable.
Which puts in fresh context your recent discussion of alternate fictional universes...
Dude -- you've revealed *far* too much about your job in this post.
Tantalum is obviously the crucial component in producing the Tantalus Field, which as any good Trekkie can tell you is the wicked alien technology that hot "Captain's woman" Marlena shows OurKirk how to use to eliminate rivals in the episode "Mirror, Mirror".
So with that slip, we know that around your office they are working on technologies to make undesirables disappear at the touch of a well-manicured fingernail upon a cheesily-crafted plastic button.
But that is just the beginning of the implications -- since the Tantalus Field was developed in the mirror universe (you know, the ISS Enterprise, the Terran Empire rather than The Federation, OtherSpock looking sharp in a beard, Chekov screaming in the agony booth)(and Uhura's midriff. let's never forget Uhara's midriff), discussion of tantalum and the need therefor suggests strongly that y'all have Broken Through and are parallel-'verse surfing.
No other conclusion seems logically supportable.
Which puts in fresh context your recent discussion of alternate fictional universes...
Re: They should be knocking... -
Ian, Thursday, March 3 2011, 03:11 PM
So with that slip, we know that around your office they are working on technologies to make undesirables disappear at the touch of a well-manicured fingernail upon a cheesily-crafted plastic button.
That's how I got this job: that was my dissertation.
[...]suggests strongly that y'all have Broken Through and are parallel-'verse surfing. No other conclusion seems logically supportable.
If this is about the nanotech self-repair module attached to my car, I found that. In the woods.
So with that slip, we know that around your office they are working on technologies to make undesirables disappear at the touch of a well-manicured fingernail upon a cheesily-crafted plastic button.
That's how I got this job: that was my dissertation.
[...]suggests strongly that y'all have Broken Through and are parallel-'verse surfing. No other conclusion seems logically supportable.
If this is about the nanotech self-repair module attached to my car, I found that. In the woods.
Add Your Comment:
Unwalkers interview [English | French ]
Interview with Speculate! Podcast Interview with Adventures in SciFi Publishing
Ian Tregillis on the Sword and Laser Podcast
Ian Tregillis on John Scalzi's The Big Idea
Interview with Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Interview with SFRevu
Interview with Mad Hatter Book Review
Interview with Apex Books
Interview at Literary Musings Interview with Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
An interview with the authors of Busted Flush at Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Interview with Travis Heermann at The Write Line
9-way interview with the contributors to the Wild Cards novel Inside Straight at Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Interview in the February, 2008 newsletter of the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
An extended interview with Ian Tregillis by Ty Franck, on www.wildcardsbooks.com.