• Giveaway: The Ranting Dragon is giving away six copies of James Maxey‘s Greatshadow fantasy novel, book 1 in the Dragon Apocalypse series. The deadline is May 15, 2012.
• Waiting for the new Assassin’s Creed III game? How about a teaser — here’s a link to the official gameplay trailer. The game will be out October 30, 2012.
• Here’s a combo of the Incredible Hulk and steampunk. Check out the pic of this steampunk Hulk action figure.
• For all you Harry Potter fans, Amazon is adding all seven Harry Potter books to its Kindle Owners’ Lending Library on June 19, 2012. The only catch is you have to have a paid Prime membership. If you want to check it out, here’s a link.
• Dim Horizon Studio has posted on its Facebook page a series of Wheel of Time pictures for the JordanCon Promotion 2012. These are probably the best photographs I’ve seen related to WOT. Nice job guys!
• For all of you who are wondering what the Wheel of Time series is about, here’s a link to a video of the best spoiler-free introduction to the books that I’ve seen.
• Wolfenstein 3D. You video game fans know exactly what I’m talking about with just that one word. Can you believe it’s been 20 years since the game was introduced? In celebration of this milestone, you can play an online version for free here.
• Giveaway: You can enter to win a copy of Walter Mosley‘s speculative fiction books A Gift of Fire and On the Head of a Pin. The link can be found on this Facebook page. Deadline is May 22, 2012.
• Here’s a movie I really want to see: Argo, the true story of how a fake science fiction movie was instrumental in saving six people from the hostage crisis in Tehran in 1979. Here’s the first trailer for the movie.
• Looking for new geek-wear? I found a t-shirt over at Fanboy Fashion labeled “Doctor Who Van Gogh Exploding TARDIS T-Shirt.” I’d wear this. He he…
• For all you fellow geek girls out there, this eye makeup would be a lot of fun to wear to a Comic Con. Here’s a pic of R2-D2 eye makeup and Nightmare Before Christmas eye makeup. Amazing.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away 5 copies of The Coldest War by Ian Tregillis. The deadline is June 8, 2012.
• Giveaway: Want a copy of Orson Scott Card‘s Earth Unaware? Tor is giving away 10 copies on Goodreads. Deadline is June 8, 2012.
• Giveaway: Tor is also giving away 10 copies of Dan Wells‘ The Hollow City. Deadline is June 8, 2012.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away 10 copies of Beth Bernobich‘s fantasy Queens Hunt, (River of Souls Series, #2). Deadline is June 8, 2012.
• Giveaway: One more Tor giveaway — the Thieftaker historical fantasy by D.B. Jackson. Deadline is June 8, 2012.

Since I there seems to be quite a bit of press this week about the upcoming Wheel of Time book, I thought I’d go ahead and post a music video of “Wheel of Time” by Blind Guardian, including lyrics and some art of the series by Robert Jordan.

Click here to view the embedded video.

That about does it. Y’all have a good weekend and I’ll see you next week.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Michael Whelan cover art for "A Memory of Light"

You can find a pic of the final book cover here: A Memory of Light book cover

You can find Michael Whelan’s web site here: http://www.glassonion.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Dark Knight Rises, in theaters July 20 (click pic to see trailer)

Time for my weekly wrap up of my favorite links found this week.

• Giveaway: I’m going to start by spreading a little love to author Greg Mitchell, who was interviewed this week over at Christian Bookshelf Reviews, along with a review of Enemies of the Cross, Book 2 in his Christian horror The Coming Evil trilogy. Check out the interview and enter to win a copy of the book here. Deadline is May 7, 2012.
• Are you looking forward to the Summer movie season? io9 has put together a list of 33 sci-fi and fantasy movies to look forward to. Which one is at the top of your list? (Click on the picture above of Batman to see the official trailer for The Dark Knight Rises.)
• Who wouldn’t want to personalize a superhero to look like themselves? At this link, you can buy everything you need to make these action Marvel superhero figures look like you.
• Will the folks over at MIT never cease to amaze me? It seems some hacker over there turned an entire building into a playable game of Tetris. Follow the link for a write-up and 3-minute video.
• How about a solid hardwood coffee table that functions as a workable Nintendo NES controller? It will only set you back $3,500.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away 10 copies of Earthseed, a YA sci-fi novel by Pamela Sargent. Deadline is May 25, 2012.
• Here’s something for you die-hard geeks: hand-painted Zelda and Link earphones. Those would be sure to start a conversation!
• While we’re talking geek accessories, how about a Luke Skywalker lightsaber lamp?It comes complete with a black laser-cut shade. If you prefer, there is a Darth Vader lamp instead.
• Giveaway: Every month until the January 8, 2012 release of A Memory of Light (the final volume in The Wheel of Time series, the last three volumes of which are written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson), Tor will be giving offering the chance to win a copy of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. Here’s a link to the current giveaway of 10 copies, which ends May 25, 2012.
• Are you looking forward to the release of the Avengers movie on May 4? If you’re not sure whether you want to see it, here’s a link to the official trailer. Maybe that will help you decide.
• Geek news: James Cameron and Google have teamed up in a space venture to mine asteroids. Some targets will be gold, platinum and water.

Do you like Game of Thrones? Guitarist Eric Calderone posted his rendition of “Games of Thrones Meets Metal” a few weeks ago. Very nicely done. Check it out below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

That should about do it for this week. Did I miss your favorite? If you have any good ones to add to the list, post a link for us in the comments, okay?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Unfinished AMoL cover by Darrell Sweet

Are any of you eagerly awaiting the final book in the Wheel of Time series? The fourteenth (and final) book in this series conceived of and largely written by Robert Jordan is entitled A Memory of Light (referred to fans as AMoL) and is set for release by Tor in January 2013. (Due to Jordan’s tragic and untimely death, Brandon Sanderson is writing the final three books, as outlined and partially written by Jordan before his death.)

While next January still seems like a long time away, Tor has released a couple of teasers. Above you can see the still unfinished cover art. The artwork remains unfinished because Darrell K. Sweet, the artist who illustrated all the previous Wheel of Time book covers passed away before it could be completed. The painting will now be finished by the incredible artist Michael Whelan. (For more details regarding the AMoL cover, visit this link to Dragonmount.com.)

Tor has also released an excerpt of the Prologue for those of us who are chaffing at the bit. I feel it my civic duty, an opportunity my responsibility to pass that on to you. After all, that’s why I’m here, right? (grin)

If you’d like to get a taste of this much anticipated book, follow this link to get a preview into the life of an Andorian soldier preparing for the end of the world:

Excerpt of A Memory of Light (Book 14 in The Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

What do you think of the excerpt and cover art? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment and let’s talk about it, ok?

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• I stumbled across http://www.thetatteredscroll.com this week. There you can find many current fantasy ebook deals, including two RA Salvatore ebooks currently priced at $4.99 (that’s $3 off the usual digital price). It’s nice to have someone willing to go through what’s out there and find the cream of the crop.
• http://www.starwarsuncut.com/ has released a remake of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, comprised entirely of 15-second fan clips. I watched a few minutes and have to shake my head at the originality of some of the submissions.
• I love beautiful artwork. Naomi Novik has posted a beautiful piece of fan art by Daniel Govar, a dragon based on her Temeraire series.
• MIT unveiled In Europe the Hiriko electric car, a windshield mounted car that folds up to take up one-third the parking space of an average size car. A pilot program for the little sci-fi looking buggy is set to begin next year.
• I see Steven Spielberg is considering creating a Moses epic for Warner Bros. Will it going to be more fantasy or faith? I guess we’ll see.
• Last year, Tor Forge gave away copies of Templar One (EVE, #2) by Tony Gonzales. Well, they’re at it again. Five copies are available on Goodreads. Deadline is February 24, 2012. (The book is based on the MMORPG game, http://www.eveonline.com/) For a peek at the action-packed trailer for the game see the publisher’s book page.
• Here’s one that cracked me up: The 10 most undignified deaths in SFF, according to the Facebook followers of io9.com.
• Care to contribute to one man’s attempt to list the family tree of every character in Lord of the Rings? http://www.lotrproject.com/. I wish him luck.
• Giveaway: To kick off the Year of the Dragon, Tor is giving away four copies of the Wheel of Time prequel, New Spring: The Graphic Novel by Robert Jordan, Chuck Dixon, and Mike S. Miller. Speaking of WOT, the publisher is also offering 10 copies of the first book in the series, The Eye of the World. The deadline for both is February 24, 2012.
• Giveaway: Another offering by Tor on Goodreads — The Stolen Throne by David Gaider, the prequel to Dragon Age: Origins, the role-playing video game from Bioware. Deadline is February 24, 2012.
• Here’s some geek news: University of Washington researchers have created a game, Foldit, where players can decode and create protein shapes to help scientists learn how proteins work and help with drug research for HIV and Alzheimer’s cures. Gamers, go forth and save the world! More on this story on CNET.
• Minecraft and Zelda unite! Here’s a video showing the Hyrule Temple built in Minecraft. Now that must have taken quite some time.
• Want to up your geek-cred points a tiny bit? Tell people you know where to find the video showing the Lego Man in Space, footage shot by 17-year-olds Matthew Ho and Asad Muhammad using a weather balloon and makeshift Styrofoam spacecraft to send a Lego man 15 miles up into the stratosphere. To make it easy, here you go:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I think that’ll do it for now. Have a great weekend, everyone! If I missed any good links, leave a note in the comments. I love to hear from you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• Giveaway: Tor is giving away several books on Goodreads. Entry deadline for all these is December 17, 2011. Click on the book titles for the contest links. Each of these will not be released to the general public until February 28, 1012.
• Touchstone by Melanie Rawn.
• The Scar by Sergey Dyachenko and Marina Dyachenko.
• Living Proof by Kira Peikoff.
• Cain at Gettysburg by Ralph Peters.
• Arctic Rising by Tobias S. Buckell.
• More Tor giveaways. I think these books are already out. Deadlines for these contests are also December 17.
• An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor.
• A War of Gifts (Ender’s Saga #5) by Orson Scott Card.
• Giveaway: Future Lovecraft, An anthology of scifi stories and poems inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Book was released December 6, 2012. Contest deadline is December 31, 2011.
• In fantasy art news, I’m sad to say that Darrell K. Sweet died this week. Among his many works, he created the artwork for Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. You can see several of his artwork on this Tor blog post.
• Speaking of the Wheel of Time books, you can purchase a 24k gold-plated bronze Asha’man dragon pin. If you know what this is, you have an automatic membership in the unofficial circle of geekdom.
• Just in time for Christmas, how about a gingerbread AT-AT? Amazing. I love the candy canes underfoot. <snicker>
• And finally, here’s a video, just for fun. Have you heard of The Piano Guys? These guys are amazing musicians. One of their latest pieces is a Star Wars parody entitled “Cello Wars: The Phantom Chellist.” Not all their pieces are humorous, but this one is too funny. Here you go:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I hope you’re enjoying the holidays so far.  Until next time, happy geekdom to you. May all your Christmas dreams come true.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Meanwhile, here is the first of three online videos that feature different aspects behind “The Gathering Storm.” In this video Harriet (Robert Jordan’s widow) talks about choosing Brandon to complete the series.

The dates of the national tour have been released. To see if Brandon will be signing books nearby, check the list here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”