Chaos and Cosmos: Bookish Horoscopes!

October 1, 2020September 30, 2020Rachel Taylor

We’ve been giving our Chaos and Cosmos authors a run for their money with all these delightfully chaotic questions, but today we’ve given them their most daunting task yet…WRITING HOROSCOPES! From meeting handsome strangers to fleeing vengeful pigs, check out what our authors predicted here.

Write a horoscope based on your book

Kate Elliott, author of opens in a new windowUnconquerable Sun

Today you will face an obstacle and an opening. Keep your temper in check. Charge right in.

May Robinette Kowal, author of opens in a new windowThe Relentless Moon

Today watch out for accidents. You will find yourself in close quarters, far from loved ones. Trust your friends to be there for you.

Ryan Van Loan, author of opens in a new windowThe Sin in the Steel

Remember that harissa-rubbed pork shoulder you enjoyed? Today, the porcine will have their revenge.

Alaya Dawn Johnson, author of opens in a new windowTrouble the Saints

Someone has committed a great wrong against you and your people. It’s your choice: fight alone, or fight together. The truth, and the power, is in your hands.

Jenn Lyons, author of opens in a new windowThe Memory of Souls

Change is in the air, and you know what they say: adapt or die! It’s a tough world out there, and it’s not always easy to see the dragons in your path until they fly right into you. With Kimeron in retrograde, be careful of family gatherings, as it’s going to be especially easy to say the wrong thing to a loved one. You may find such reunions to be a little disagreeable, even cut-throat. Remember not to take what people say at face value — everyone had their own motives.

Most of all, be prepared to make sacrifices to get what you want.

Kit Rocha, author of opens in a new windowDeal with the Devil

Today, a tall, handsome stranger will ask you to team up. You can’t trust him. Do it anyway.

Andrea Hairston, author of opens in a new windowMaster of Poisons

Today everything will be upside down and inside out, unpredictable, dangerous. If you work together with folks you love and folks you can’t stand, you might make it to tomorrow.

Christopher Paolini, author of opens in a new windowTo Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Today you will encounter adventure, tentacles, and cosmic wonder. Today dreams and nightmares will find unity.

S. A. Hunt, author of opens in a new windowI Come With Knives

Don’t feed the wildlife today. Embrace your nature and let your impulsive side take over for a little while. Don’t attend any dinner parties your neighbors might be throwing. A new challenge will present itself in the form of a Mesopotamian death-goddess.

S. L. Huang, author of opens in a new windowBurning Roses

You’re going to have to decide whether you can kill your friend’s son today. Also, it turns out gods and monsters exist, and you might be the monster.

Stay tuned for even more Chaos and Cosmos!

Author Features / Chaos and Cosmos / Extras

What Would You Keep in a Bag of Holding? (Chaotic Answers Only)

August 28, 2020April 30, 2024torforge

The opens in a new windowChaos and Cosmos continues!

We asked our Chaos and Cosmos authors: What would you keep in a bag of holding? And then we just sat back and embraced the chaos.

We have some ideas of our own of course: A lightsaber. Two-hundred and seven cheese wheels. A dragon egg maybe.

Let us know what you’d keep in yours in the comments!

What would you keep in your bag of holding?

Kate Elliott, author of opens in a new windowUnconquerable Sun

A trans-dimensional gateway, and an unending supply of freshly baked cookies.

Mary Robinette Kowal, author of opens in a new windowThe Relentless Moon

Fountain pens, paper, books, crochet, my laptop, and a blanket for a cozy nap. Also, my cat Elsie would probably be in there, because it is a thing that she can get inside that she should not be inside.

S. A. Hunt, author of opens in a new windowI Come With Knives

Definitely not a portable hole, or another bag of holding. That’s a good way to rip a hole in space and time, and get sucked into the Astral Plane. What I would keep in my bag of holding? Probably a sword, my wallet, and chargers for my devices. Maybe a pack of soft-baked cookies and a water bottle.

Alaya Dawn Johnson, author of opens in a new windowTrouble the Saints

Futon mattress, green tea, electric kettle, pens, ink, notebooks, towel, a lot of conditioner and a hair pick.

Ryan Van Loan, author of opens in a new windowThe Sin in the Steel

Oh! Can I say another bag of holding whose destruction results in opening a gate to the Astral Plane? No? Hmm…well I imagine it’d probably be pretty similar to the contents of the bag Hermione has in The Deathly Hallows. Books and glamping tents and more books and potions and wands and quills and ink and…have I mentioned books?

Kit Rocha, author of opens in a new windowDeal with the Devil

A bowling alley (complete with skunky beer), fifty pounds of hot smoked salmon, and a 1961 Thunderbird.

Jenn Lyons, author of opens in a new windowThe Memory of Souls

If my backpack is anything to go by: fountain pens, journals, and watercolor supplies.

Andrea Hairston, author of opens in a new windowMaster of Poisons

Portals to other worlds
A bike that never rusts or needs air in the tire
Dark chocolate bonbons with caramel filling
A truth serum

Christopher Paolini, author of opens in a new windowTo Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Survival equipment and writing supplies.

S. L. Huang, author of opens in a new windowBurning Roses

Toilet paper. (Too real?)

Also a sword, my TI-92 graphing calculator, and a whole lot of tea.

Cory Doctorow, author of opens in a new windowAttack Surface

A wet bar, an espresso machine, a burr grinder, well, I already have the bag I take on planes that has a sleeping bag, good pajamas, a hot water bottle, an ice pack, footie slippers, an eye mask…I’m the most comfortable man in the sky, so I’ll definitely carry all of that, some really good pens, more spare batteries than is wise, I could go on.

Us: How many spare batteries is wise?

Like, if there was a lithium fire, you’d want it to be terrible but not catastrophic, that’s the wise level.

V. E. Schwab, author of opens in a new windowThe Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Dark chocolate and really good English Breakfast tea, at all times.

Relatable, right?

Author Features / Chaos and Cosmos / Extras

Chaos and Cosmos: Choose. Your. Weapon.

August 13, 2020April 29, 2024torforge1 Comment

Everyone knows that when challenged to a duel, it’s on you to pick the weapon. Fisticuffs? Fencing at dawn? Compliments? In order to be prepared to defend your honor, you should really have a weapon of choice.

Relatedly, in the event of an unfortunate fencing-at-dawn accident, what would you replace your hand with if it were chopped off?

We ask our authors the important questions.

What is your weapon of choice?
Or, if your hand was cut off what would you replace it with?

Kate Elliott, author of opens in a new windowUnconquerable Sun

If my hand was cut off I would replace it with a Swiss Army knife multi-tool prosthetic with additional sensitive claw grip.

Mary Robinette Kowal, author of opens in a new windowThe Relentless Moon

Weapon of choice: Namiki pilot fountain pen with Noodler Ink’s Black Swans in English Roses.

S. A. Hunt, author of opens in a new windowI Come With Knives

Chainsaw, of course. Barring that, a short-sword. Something agile, but still has a little reach. No! No! A hookshot! A claw-hand that shoots out on a cable!

Alaya Dawn Johnson, author of opens in a new windowTrouble the Saints

Nothing beats a well-aimed throwing knife.

Ryan Van Loan, author of opens in a new windowThe Sin in the Steel

Can this be an ‘and’ question? Weapon of choice would be a Colt .45 (God made people, Sam Colt made them all equal right?) The truth is, I have a fascination with a double-edged broadsword with a basket-hilt and red leather lining (think Scottish sword), but I haven’t put my 10,000 hours in and would die…but if I could replace my hand with a badass sword AND have the Colt .45? Possibilities, friends, possibilities.

Kit Rocha, author of opens in a new windowDeal with the Devil

A PS4 controller.

Jenn Lyons, author of opens in a new windowThe Memory of Souls

My weapon of choice would be vast cosmic powers. Because hell yes.

Andrea Hairston, author of opens in a new windowMaster of Poisons

The pen! (For both.)

Christopher Paolini, author of opens in a new windowTo Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Pistol-caliber carbine with armor-piercing rounds. If my hand was cut off . . . a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range.

S. L. Huang, author of opens in a new windowBurning Roses

A laser. Because I could both cut through diamond AND entertain a posse of playful cats.

Cory Doctorow, author of Attack Surface

The Content Management System.

V. E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Definitely a really old-fashioned dagger.

Stay tuned for even more Chaos and Cosmos!

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Chaos and Cosmos / Lists / New Releases / What's New

Meet Our Books Cosmos: Fire Signs

August 11, 2020May 6, 2024Rachel Taylor

Ready to meet more of the shining stars of our Chaos and Cosmos campaign?! We’re shouting about our incredible Fire signs today: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini, Burning Roses by S. L. Huang, and Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott.

Why are they Fire signs? We don’t know, ask publicity team members and astrology wizards Laura Eztkorn, Giselle Gonzalez, and Anna Merz.

Aries

“Aries are passionate, very ‘head first, eyes closed, can’t lose’–which is also very Kira, the protagonist of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. It’s all about courage and determination for them. Which you’ll need when your area of space starts to fill with angry aliens…”

opens in a new windowTo Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she’s delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move. As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn’t at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human. While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity’s greatest and final hope . . .

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Sagittarius

“Sagittarius are empathetic, pick up on peoples social energies, and selfless with their actions. But look their symbol is the archer and we cannot NOT tag Burning Roses when one of the heroes (Hou Yi) is an archer.”

opens in a new windowBurning Roses by S. L. Huang

Rosa, also known as Red Riding Hood, is done with wolves and woods. Hou Yi the Archer is tired, and knows she’s past her prime. They would both rather just be retired, but that’s not what the world has ready for them. When deadly sunbirds begin to ravage the countryside, threatening everything they’ve both grown to love, the two must join forces. Now blessed and burdened with the hindsight of middle age, they begin a quest that’s a reckoning of sacrifices made and mistakes mourned, of choices and family and the quest for immortality.

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Leo

“Oh Leos. So ready to dominate, insecure but also willing own the spotlight. No one gives off that sunny, lion-esque, dominant Leo energy like Sun and her mother Eirene in Unconquerable Sun.”

opens in a new windowUnconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott

Princess Sun has finally come of age. Growing up in the shadow of her mother, Eirene, has been no easy task. The legendary queen-marshal did what everyone thought impossible: expel the invaders and build Chaonia into a magnificent republic, one to be respected—and feared. But the cutthroat ambassador corps and conniving noble houses have never ceased to scheme—and they have plans that need Sun to be removed as heir, or better yet, dead.

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Chaos and Cosmos / Quizzes

Are you Chaos or Cosmos? TAKE OUR QUIZ AND FIND OUT!

July 20, 2020December 16, 2020Rachel Taylor

In your heart of hearts, do you know…are you CHAOS or COSMOS?! We’re going to help you find out with our shiny new quiz, featuring questions around all our amazingly chaotic books! Take the quiz here, and let us know what you think in the comments!

Chaos and Cosmos / Lists / What's New

Chaos and Cosmos Authors Answer: Should Pluto be a Planet? And What OTHER Things Should Be Planets?

June 30, 2020May 13, 2024Rachel Taylor4 Comments

We’re all about the big questions in our Chaos and Cosmos campaign and we asked our authors a dozy this time: Should Pluto be a planet? And what OTHER things should be planets? Check out their answers below and let us know what you think should be a planet in the comments!

Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun

Should Pluto be a planet?

Pluto should get to be whatever Pluto wants to be.

What other things should be planets?

My rage.

Mary Robinette Kowal, author of The Relentless Moon

Should Pluto be a planet?

Trick question. Pluto is a planet so the word “should” is misleading.

What other things should be planets?

Books. I mean, who hasn’t felt the irresistible gravitational pull of a book? They’ve got gravity, atmosphere, and orbit the sun.

S. A. Hunt, author of I Come With Knives

Should Pluto be a planet?

I already consider Pluto to be a planet.

What other things should be planets?

Fictional planets should be real planets. I’d love to hear news that scientists have discovered a way to travel through the multiverse, and found that all the worlds in our books, shows, and movies are real. Hey, I have a question for you – what if an entire library was a planet?

Alaya Dawn Johnson, author of Trouble the Saints

Should Pluto be a planet?

Pluto knows it’s a planet, it doesn’t need our permission.

What other things should be planets?

Russel’s teapot, dark matter, the morning star (wait, sorry, that is a planet)

Ryan Van Loan, author of The Sin in the Steel

Should Pluto be a planet?

Absolutely! I didn’t realize this was a controversial opinion to take, but there was quite a spirited discussion about it with the Tor Books folks, I can tell you. The millenial in me thinks Pluto is a planet and even if it’s not, deserves to be recognized as a planet after pretending to be one for so long. Participation trophies FTW!

What other things should be planets?

Planet-killing asteroids? I feel like we’d take the threat of extinction by asteroid much more seriously if we named them like planets. Planet ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ sounds much scarier than Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 for example. Also, the weight of the average teenage angst as measured by the amount of My Chemical Romance in the air.

Kit Rocha, author of Deal with the Devil

Should Pluto be a planet?

It is a planet. *hard stare*

What other things should be planets?

National treasure Dolly Parton. The guitar riff from Smoke on the Water. The French Quarter of New Orleans. My dog’s ego.

Jenn Lyons, author of The Memory of Souls

Should Pluto be a planet?

Yes. While Pluto fits the definition of dwarf-planet and there are a suspected 200 or so dwarf planets in the Sol System, it’s also not making the definition of planet primarily because of its location — were Pluto where Mercury is, we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion. But of course, there’s a lot of masses out in the Kuiper Belt which meet the same qualifications. Still, I’m nostalgic.

What other things should be planets?

I’m personally a fan of a geophysical definition — which means, yes, there should be 200 or so dwarf planets we call as such in the Sol system. Because come on, how cool would it be to have 200 planets in our solar system?

Andrea Hairston, author of Master of Poisons

Should Pluto be a planet?

Why not? Size isn’t the only issue! Pluto is a wanderer, a traveler and that’s what planet means—from the Greek for wanderer to Latin to Old French and Middle English.

What other things should be planets?

Nine is a nice number, like the supreme court, but the other dwarf planets Ceres, Eris, Makemake and Haumea could just be “planets” too!

Christopher Paolini, author of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

Should Pluto be a planet?

Maybe?

What other things should be planets?

Planet X … if it exists (also, Titan, if it weren’t a moon)

S. L. Huang, author of Burning Roses

Should Pluto be a planet?

Yes. DUH! (Sorry, Dr. Tyson.)

What other things should be planets?

Oh, no, now you’ve gotten me going. I have a whole rant about this. We as humans are so obsessed with defining categories and drawing bright lines between classifications. But Nature, in all its messiness, abhors our need to fit everything in little boxes.

Gender, speciation, fruits versus vegetables, PLANETS—we think we’ve got a way of differentiating them all cleanly and then something like a platypus comes and blows it all up, and we have to make more caveats and carve out exceptions until it becomes really obvious the cosmos is just a continuum of chaos that defies our attempts to order it.

If Pluto wants to be a planet, let it be a planet. I support self-identification of celestial bodies.

Also platypuses can be planets. Tomatoes aren’t a vegetable, they’re a planet. And stop the debate about whether Denisovans were a subspecies of ancient humans or not; they can come be planets too.

LET CHAOS REIGN.