How Isaac Met Smudge
Note: Edited to fix the link.
A while back, Literary Escapism invited me to participate in their School’s In feature, which has authors writing school-related snippets for their characters. I decided to put together a bit that showed the first time Isaac Vainio from Libriomancer met Smudge the fire-spider.
I might tweak a few details if I incorporate this into one of the Magic ex Libris books or a related short story, but the gist of that first meeting is at http://www.literaryescapism.com/30530/schools-in-jim-c-hines-isaac-vainio.
Enjoy!
Shrieky
September 1, 2012 @ 9:50 am
Linky no worky. Too bad, because I really want to read this.
Jim
September 1, 2012 @ 9:59 am
Argh! Try http://www.literaryescapism.com/30530/schools-in-jim-c-hines-isaac-vainio
Leslie
September 3, 2012 @ 7:12 pm
Yay! Second link works. Love it! I’m so looking forward to the next book and reading more about Smudge and Isaac. I’m not really a spider person, but I find Smudge quite endearing.
LadyX
September 6, 2012 @ 2:59 pm
Oh, poor confuzzilated Smudge. Libriomancer is the first of your work I have read, and I have to say I loved it. It was nie reading something set in the Michigan/Indiana part of the country, where I live. As I was reading it I just couldn’t stop thinking about howSmudge got broght through, and I kne it was going to bug me until the next book, or however long you took to tel us. So I’m really glad you posted this for us.
Nikki
September 10, 2012 @ 12:47 am
I’ll definitely be looking into it when I get a moment – finished Libriomancer this evening and I love it to bits.
(I was disappointed to learn Renfield wasn’t a real book though – it and V-Day both sound awesome in different ways!)
Jim C. Hines
September 10, 2012 @ 10:19 am
So glad you liked it, thanks!
One of the most dangerous parts of writing this series is that there’s a part of me that wants to run off and write the other made-up books, too 🙂
Jim C. Hines
September 10, 2012 @ 10:19 am
Thanks, Leslie! One of my goals back when I first started writing Smudge for the goblin books was to make a spider that people would actually like. Which was a bit of a challenge, because I don’t particularly like spiders either…
Jim C. Hines
September 10, 2012 @ 10:20 am
Thank you! I’m very glad you enjoyed it!
Paul (@princejvstin)
September 10, 2012 @ 9:12 pm
“Midlist hack?”
Personally, I think that was a very unkind way for Isaac to describe the author of the book Smudge comes from. 😉
Jim C. Hines
September 10, 2012 @ 9:19 pm
What can I say? Sometimes that Isaac can be a bit of a punk.
Jimmy
September 11, 2012 @ 7:29 pm
Hi cant wait to read the book. This year I went to my frist con ever. It was peniguen con and I wondered in to a book reading about a magic libariean. I was in the back and Mr. Hines mentioned Smudge and I think I had a shocked look on my face cause Mr. Hines said “oh i can tell who read the goblin books” i must confess befor he said that i had no clue who he was then it clicked that this was the athour of one of my faveortie set of books in the world. I must admit i may of died of a massive nerdgaism then went to nerdvana as he read about the new book and I got a chance to get a autograpf which is framed and on my book shelf. Any way long fan rambleing aside i saw this tee shirt design and it made me think of that book reading.
http://www.offworlddesigns.com/p-514-librarian-seal-t-shirt.aspx
Jim C. Hines
September 14, 2012 @ 8:25 pm
Hi Jimmy!
First off, that T-shirt is great. I’m considering picking one up myself, just for when I do Libriomancer readings 🙂
And thank you. I’m glad I was able to make your first con a bit more memorable, and I hope the rest of the weekend went well! Are you planning to go back to Penguicon next year?
Best,
Jim
David Y
September 15, 2012 @ 12:20 am
Jim:
when Isaac takes things out of books, do they disappear from the universe the book is in? Is Smudge still hanging out with Jig as well as Isaac?
I’m only halfway through — maybe this is explained.
Jim C. Hines
September 15, 2012 @ 9:29 am
Nope, libriomancy does not change the universe of the other books, so there would still be the fictional Smudge hanging out with Jig the goblin as well as the “real” Smudge tagging along with Isaac.
Jimmy
September 15, 2012 @ 11:58 pm
Yes can’t wait for penguin con. I had an idea for Isaac. Could a group of baddies he fights be the same pepole resopnisable for the horiable moveis kinda based on books. For example the percey jackson and erogon book are epic and amazing and the movies make you want to smack the movie wrighters with the book. Basicaly my idea is that the evil baddeis want to stop pepole from reading by makeing bad movies from them also they could be the one that put boring bad books in schools as requaried reading so most kids dont like to read for fun. Basicaly they want to steal/weekin the libriomaners powers by makeing pepole hate reading.
p.s. sorry for bad spelling and any grammer mistakes it is 12 pm and i spent 9 hours at work and 5 gaming.