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35-571: In September 2015, Julian Yap and Molly Barton launched Serial Box. The first production was Bookburners , created by Max Gladstone . The writing process was based on television serials rather than novels. Founder Yap realized that he was reading fewer novels due to time constraints from work. Both Yap and Barton believe that serialized fiction will make reading more accessible and social. In April 2021, Serial Box changed its name to Realm and released its productions globally as podcasts. The productions can be listened to for free with advertising, or with

70-593: A 4-issue comic book limited series Wild Cards: The Drawing of Cards scripted by Paul Cornell in July 2022. The series adapted material from the first Wild Cards novel. Bantam Books published two original Wild Cards graphic novels in 2023: George R. R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: Now & Then by writer Carrie Vaughn and artist Renae De Liz, and George R. R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: Sins of

105-440: A Realm production can be completed 6 months from the start date. Because the first episode is published before the season is completed, the authors can tailor the ending of the season to the audience's reactions. It is the responsibility of the showrunner to ensure that all episodes maintain a consistent writing style despite the involvement of multiple authors. Molly Barton, Jeff Li, James Stuart, and Julian Yap were nominated for

140-561: A contemporary setting and the Sleeper among its characters. This was the second time the series was optioned. In August 2016, Universal Cable Productions acquired the rights to create a television series. Martin stated that the development was in early stages and that the production was working on choosing characters and stories to adapt. Because of his exclusivity contract with HBO , which aired Game of Thrones based on Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire , Martin said he will not be involved in

175-620: A forty-year gap between the first chapter and the remaining stories, pushing later contributions to fill in the intervening decades. Martin noted that this forced the authors to write about events they would have otherwise ignored, particularly the House Un-American Activities Committee and the McCarthy hearings , which gave rise to characters and plot points that "added immeasurable richness to our world and depth of our characters". Waldrop's story also forced Williams to rewrite

210-727: A long-running campaign of the Superworld role-playing game , gamemastered by Martin and involving many of the original authors. The framework of the series was developed by Martin and Snodgrass, including the origin of the characters' superhuman abilities and the card-based terminology. The first installment, Wild Cards , was released in January 1987 by Bantam Books and, as of February 2024, thirty-two books have been released through four publishers. The series has been adapted to comic books, graphic novels, and role-playing games. Set during an alternate history of post– World War II United States,

245-541: A new set of audiobooks in the series. The first three ( Mississippi Roll , Low Chicago and Texas Hold'em ) were narrated by William Hope. Next, Peter Noble narrated the two UK Wild Cards works ( Knaves Over Queens and Three Kings ). The sixth audiobook from HarperAudio (UK) (which was released in August 2021), Joker Moon , was performed by Maya Saroya. On a side note, in the UK, Three Kings has been released before Joker Moon , while

280-579: A new story, "Witness", which became the only shared world story to appear on the final ballot for a Nebula Award . British writer Neil Gaiman met with Martin in 1987 and pitched a Wild Cards story about a character who lives in a world of dreams. Martin declined due to Gaiman's lack of prior credits at the time. Gaiman went on to publish his story as The Sandman . Bantam Books , under its Spectra imprint , published twelve books between 1987 and 1993, including two solo novels written by Melinda M. Snodgrass and Victor Milán . Baen Books published

315-404: A new triad between 1993 and 1995 subtitled of a New Cycle . In 2002, Martin commented that he felt the triad was creatively "three of the strongest volumes Wild Cards ever had" and that the series "came back strong" after stumbling with a previous storyline; he conceded, however, that the triad was "very dark", acknowledging it was a commonly-voiced complaint, and that he felt switching publishers

350-515: A novel on his character, Turtle. However, he realized this would have "rescued one character from [the] SuperWorld campaign, but would have meant discarding all the rest". Since the game had been built by a group, he felt it should be a shared universe anthology, which were popular at the time. Martin invited other writers he believed would be interested in the universe, including Roger Zelazny , Lewis Shiner , Pat Cadigan , Howard Waldrop , Edward Bryant , and Stephen Leigh . Martin said that

385-480: A single plausible source was needed. Snodgrass suggested a virus, which allowed for the superpowered Aces, the "monsters and freaks" Jokers, and a high death toll. Snodgrass and Martin also developed the card based terminology, and Milán developed the pseudoscience of the series. The series was originally meant to be set in a then contemporary 1985, but Waldrop, who was to write the first story, insisted that his story take place right after World War II. This created

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420-415: A subscription. Realm hires a lead author, or showrunner, write a pilot episode and a "show bible" which will outline the plot for each season. After this, Realm brings together a team of writers who will contribute ideas in a manner similar to a television writers' room. At the end of this period, each author is assigned episodes to write. Whereas a novel generally takes 2–3 years to be written and published,

455-514: A teacher in a rural area of Anhui from 2006 to 2008 and as a translator for a car magazine. In 2013, Gladstone was a finalist for the 2012 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer . Gladstone's first novel, Three Parts Dead , was published by Tor Books on October 2, 2012 to positive reception. It was followed by Two Serpents Rise in 2013, Full Fathom Five in 2014, Last First Snow in 2015, and Four Roads Cross in 2016, all part of his Craft Sequence . The sixth novel, Ruin of Angels ,

490-496: A two-year-long campaign of the Superworld role-playing game , gifted to George R. R. Martin by Victor Milán , in Albuquerque, New Mexico ; the players were science fiction writers, including Gail Gerstner-Miller, Milán, John J. Miller , Melinda M. Snodgrass , and Walter Jon Williams , and Martin served as gamemaster . Because of the amount of time and creative energy put into the campaign, Martin initially thought to write

525-589: Is a Cold War supernatural spy thriller set in the 1970s. The first season is set to run for 13 episodes. Simon & Schuster 's Saga Press imprint released print collections of the first season of Bookburners in January 2017. A collection of season one of The Witch Who Came in From the Cold will be published in June 2017. Gladstone is to write a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game tie-in novel for Paizo Publishing . Since 2016, he

560-459: Is also part of the team of writers working on George R. R. Martin 's Wild Cards anthology series. The Highway Kind , a fantasy road trip novel, was announced for publication in 2018 by Tor Books but has not yet seen print. Gladstone's novel Empress of Forever, a space opera , was published in 2019. Gladstone's novella This Is How You Lose the Time War , written with Amal El-Mohtar , won

595-629: The "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George R. R. Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass . Set largely during an alternate history of post- World War II United States, the series follows humans who contracted the Wild Card virus, an alien virus that rewrites DNA and mutates survivors. Those who acquire crippling and/or repulsive physical conditions are known as Jokers, while those who acquire superhuman abilities are known as Aces, and those few who acquire minor, insignificant powers not worthy of being called aces are known as Deuces. The series originated from

630-456: The 2019 BSFA Award for Short Fiction and the 2019 Nebula Award for Best Novella . Both games, published by Choice of Games , are set in the Craft Sequence universe. Wild Cards Wild Cards is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels , and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as

665-530: The 2019 World Fantasy Professional Award for their work with Serial Box. Max Gladstone Max Gladstone (born May 28, 1984) is an American fantasy author. He is best known for his 2012 debut novel Three Parts Dead , which is part of The Craft Sequence , his urban fantasy serial Bookburners , and for co-writing This Is How You Lose the Time War . Gladstone is a graduate of Yale University where he studied Chinese. He has worked in China, including as

700-569: The Brick Tower Press imprint, acquired all of Preiss' assets, including those of ibooks, for $ 125,000. Brick Tower Press offered e-book versions of its titles, including Deuces Down and Death Draws Five via Humble Bundle in February 2016. Tor Books , an imprint under Macmillan Publishers , published the series in both print and e-book format. It released thirteen new installments from November 2008 to August 2022. Tor Books also reprinted

735-732: The Father by writer Melinda Snodgrass and artists Michael Komarck and Elizabeth Leggett. Unabridged audiobook versions of the first five books have been released. Audiobooks of the first two installments were released by Brilliance Audio in November and December 2011. Versions of the third, fourth, and fifth novels were released by Penguin Random House from February to March 2016, featuring voice talents for each character. The sixth and seventh installments were released in February and June 2017. Commencing in August 2018, HarperAudio (UK) began releasing

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770-420: The first twelve, sixteenth & seventeenth novels as of November 2021. Tor Books also published online supplementary material. A multi-author blog supporting Inside Straight opened in February 2008. The blog followed American Hero , the fictional reality television show in the book, and posted in-character "confessionals" from the twenty-eight characters competing on the show. That supplemental material

805-663: The game debuted at Gen Con that year. Two supplements were released: an adventure anthology titled All-in and a character book titled Aces & Jokers . A four-issue Wild Cards limited series was released in 1990 by Epic Comics , an imprint of Marvel Comics . The issues were then collected and published as a trade paperback in October 1991. They were also included in Epic: An Anthology , released in 1992. A second limited series titled Wild Cards: The Hard Call , written by Daniel Abraham and illustrated by Eric Battle ,

840-434: The group loved comic books and superheroes but wanted to approach the material in a "grittier, more adult manner than what we were seeing in the '80s". He cited the series' "sense of history" as a strength and expressed frustration with the retroactive continuity of mainstream comics. Martin also felt that the multitude of sources for superpowers in comics strained suspension of disbelief when taken together, and he believed

875-459: The opposite is set to happen in the US. In October 2011, Syfy Films, a joint venture between Syfy Channel and Universal Pictures , acquired screen rights to Wild Cards under the direction of Gregory Noveck, senior vice president of production. Snodgrass was asked to write the screenplay, and she and Martin were to serve as executive producers. At the time of announcement, the film was intended to have

910-449: The pilot as well as episodes 7, 11, and 16. In January 2016, Serial Box renewed Bookburners for a second season, set to premiere in Summer 2016. Gladstone's newest serial, The Witch Who Came in from the Cold , co-created with Lindsay Smith, launched in January 2016 from Serial Box. The serial, written by Gladstone, Smith, Cassandra Rose Clarke , Ian Tregillis , and Michael Swanwick ,

945-473: The series follows events after an airborne alien virus is released over New York City in 1946 and eventually infects tens of thousands globally. The virus, designed to rewrite DNA , was developed as a bioweapon by a noble family on the planet Takis, and it is taken to Earth to test on humans, who are genetically identical to the people of Takis. Dr. Tachyon, a member of this family, objects and attempts to stop them. However, his attempt crashes their ship, releasing

980-400: The series. Five authors have written for at least one novel released by each publisher of the series: Michael Cassutt , Stephen Leigh (often writing as S. L. Farrell), John J. Miller , Walton Simons, and Snodgrass. Every installment was edited by Martin, who has also contributed as an author to ten books; later installments were co-edited by Snodgrass. (often as S. L. Farrell) Wild Cards

1015-545: The virus. The virus affects each individual differently, and it becomes known as the Wild Card virus because of these "random and unpredictable" symptoms. It kills 90% of those who contract it and mutates the remaining percentage. 9% survive but become Jokers, who develop minor or crippling physical conditions. The remaining 1% become Aces, who remain human or mostly human in appearance but develop superhuman abilities; Aces whose abilities are too trivial or specific to be generally valuable are called Deuces. Wild Cards began as

1050-473: Was a mistake. In 2000, ibooks Inc. purchased two new installments and the rights to reprint the first eight books of the series; the two new books were published between 2002 and 2006, including a solo novel by John J. Miller , and reprints for six of the first eight books were issued. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July 2005, shortly after the death of founder Byron Preiss . In December 2006, J. Bolyston & Co. Publishers, parent company of

1085-568: Was adapted into a role-playing game format by Steve Jackson Games . Written by John J. Miller and published in June 1989, the sourcebook used GURPS Supers rules and contained descriptions of sixty of the characters. A supplement titled Aces Abroad , written by Kevin Andrew Murphy , was released in 1991. Green Ronin Publishing published Wild Cards Campaign Setting , written by Miller, for its Mutants & Masterminds RPG in August 2008;

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1120-439: Was published by Tor.com in 2017. It will be followed by both novel and novella-length works starting in 2018. In September 2015, Serial Box Publishing launched Bookburners , a weekly urban fantasy serial created by Gladstone and written by a team of authors consisting of himself, Margaret Dunlap, Mur Lafferty , and Brian Francis Slattery . The first season ran from September to December 2015 for 16 episodes: Gladstone wrote

1155-646: Was published on the official Wild Cards website in July 2020. The series returned to Bantam Books in July 2023. Upcoming books include House Rules . Bantam also began publishing original graphic novels featuring stories set within the Wild Cards universe. The collection of authors who have contributed to the Wild Card series is known as the Wild Cards Trust or the Wild Card consortium. As of Joker Moon , published in July 2021, forty-four authors have written for

1190-400: Was published over six issues from April to September 2008 by Dabel Brothers Productions . Dabel Brothers partnered with Del Rey to collect the titles in July 2008, including Wild Cards: The Hard Call , as graphic novels beginning in fall 2008. The issues were collected in a hardcover edition published by Dynamite Entertainment in February 2011. Marvel Entertainment began publishing

1225-658: Was republished by Tor as an e-book titled American Hero: A Wild Cards Novel on March 3, 2020. Twenty-three short stories were published through the Tor Books website from January 2013 through July 2022: A short story, titled "Lies My Mother Told Me" by Caroline Spector , was published in the Dangerous Women anthology, also edited by Martin. The anthology was released in December 2013. An additional short story, titled "I Have No Voice and I Must Zoom Meeting" by Paul Cornell ,

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