With the Leviathan paperback only month away, I figure it’s time to show you a first piece of art from Behemoth. (Yes, I put this on Twitter a week ago, but it’s still NEW, right?)
So . . . behold the Ottoman sultan’s airyacht Stamboul, which appears about a third of the way into the novel.
Image by Keith Thompson, of course. Click the image for a larger view.
As you can see, Keith has created a whole new style for the Ottoman Empire. It’s sort of a middle eastern Clanker look, with elements of both machinery and animals. (The Ottomans use walkers that look like beasties, so they’re sort of halfway between Clanker and Darwinist.)
This is, of course, only one of fifty-five pieces of art in Behemoth. I’ll be showing some more pieces on August 10, when the paperback of Leviathan appears in stores.
In other news, Keith and I will be at Comic Con in San Diego this year. I’m on a panel on Thursday at 4PM, as you can see on the schedule.
Here’s the description:
Thursday, July 22. 4:00-5:00
Twisting Genres— Fantastic fiction authors talk about pushing the envelope on genre, not confining it to one definition. Participants include China Miéville (Kraken), Justin Cronin (The Passage), Naomi Novik (Tongues of Serpents), Daryl Gregory (The Devil’s Alphabet), Jeffrey J. Mariotte (Cold Black Hearts), Robert Masello (Blood And Ice), Keith Thompson (The Leviathan trilogy), and Scott Westerfeld (The Leviathan trilogy). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 25ABC
Hope to see you there! And I’m happy to sign stuff after if you bring it along.
July 9th, 2010 01:18
I’m currently in the process of convincing my mom to drive me to San Diego for ComiCon. I think my scheme is working…
I really, really want to go. haha.
July 9th, 2010 02:09
i really really think, scott-la, that you have to come to vancouver. if not to sign billions of books for us, then just a vacation!
July 9th, 2010 02:34
you should come to down to Texas! i would clear my whole schedule just to see you!
July 9th, 2010 03:13
YAY !!!
July 9th, 2010 04:16
Oooohhh ahhhhhhh
July 9th, 2010 04:30
that’s an icy drawing, Scott-la!
July 9th, 2010 05:54
Awesome! Thanks for showing this to us! I’m so excited to see more art and read Behemoth when it comes out!
July 10th, 2010 01:01
The picture is AMAZING! but I kinda think that this is some form of exotic torture. You’re just teasing us with this art so we are anticpating the next book and make the next few months for the next book long and grueling, like teasing a dog with a steak but just letting him smell it. Then after you finally toss us the steak and we devour the book you torture us some more and wait untill we are starving once more for the next book. And when it comes out, finally we feel worn out and exhausted from waiting so long and from bingeing on the final novel. And when it’s all over we beg for more, but you wait even longer for something else new. Oooooooooooh you’re a sly one, you are.
But I’m on to you, boy! OH yeah! I’m sooo on to you! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! XD
July 10th, 2010 01:02
…….
July 10th, 2010 01:04
GGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE! WHEN’S BEHEMOTH FINALLY GOING TO ARRIVE? IT’LL BE A LIFETIME BEFORE OCTOBER IS HERE!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 10th, 2010 01:21
Wait, I thought that Behemoth was coming out in August!
July 10th, 2010 02:47
Oh, so awesome! I can’t wait! Will Behemoth have more or less art than Leviathan did?
July 10th, 2010 06:57
That is so cool!! Can’t wait for Behemoth to come out!!! OH yeah, and hey i got comment # 13. Cool.
July 10th, 2010 07:59
That is such an icy drawing.
July 10th, 2010 10:40
Gah, bummer that I can’t get to ComicCon….sigh.
I love the drawing, I was very excited when I saw it in that interview you posted earlier. But we have to wait until August for more? Ugh.
July 11th, 2010 01:30
Icy. Just icy cold. Can’t wait for Behemoth to come out.
July 11th, 2010 01:52
I love Leviathan!!! I swear, it’s the best book I’ve ever read. The characters are so endearing, I can hardly believe they aren’t actual human beings. The dialog in this book is truly something special. (Once, I stubbed my toe and nearly shouted, “Barking spiders!!!” That’s how good it is.) And the detail you put into setting is astonishing – take it from someone who usually overlooks where a story takes place.
I can’t wait for Behemoth to come out! I’m confident it’s going to blow my mind (just as Leviathan did).
P.S. I also loved the art
P.P.S. I don’t usually use the term “love” so much, but that’s the only way I can accurately express how awesome your book is.
July 11th, 2010 02:58
I wish I had gotten comment 13, not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:(
July 11th, 2010 04:42
I reviewed Leviathan in my blog, check it out.
http://wordslikearose.blogspot.com/
July 11th, 2010 09:21
Ooooh
Haha, Stamboul like Istanbul? Istanbul is Constantinople now… That would be the Ottomans
July 11th, 2010 09:31
Looks like open jaws where the flames are coming out… And the pokey front part looks like a skeletal head… Of a frog/lizard-bird
July 11th, 2010 09:32
Stamboul = Steam + Istanbul ?
July 11th, 2010 09:39
And then you could always break it up into stam and boul… Stam is like “nothing” in Hebrew and Boul. is short for boulevard, so then you get “Nothing Boulevard.” Or you could say boul is like bull, so then you get “Nothing B.S.,” which could be taken either way…
Maybe I’m just trying to spite my former English teacher. Or everyone who tries to interpret other people’s work; you know, kind of like– me. Lol.
Ok, I AM teasing now
Actually… I think I most definitely AM making fun of me
July 11th, 2010 10:54
wish i could draw like that
July 11th, 2010 21:18
Yes, all you who guessed, Stamboul means “Istanbul.” The sultan’s (non-flying) yacht in the real 1914 had that name. The city of Istanbul/Constantinople/Byzantium has had many names, often at the same time!
July 12th, 2010 02:29
I’ve really been wondering, what will Behemoth about? I have a vague idea from everything that I read, but I’ve been itching for a slightly more detailed description for months! When will one be released?
P.S I absolutely adore the illustrations in these books! I’m an artist, and I love seeing Keith Thompson’s interpretations of the characters! You and Keith make quite a team!
July 12th, 2010 09:30
Well, it’s true that the Ottomans didn’t take over Constantinople immediately– they infiltrated around into the region of Israel first, and when they did, they didn’t completely wipe out the Byzantine empire, yet…
All the other stuff was basically me being over-tired… Sorry Scott :0
July 12th, 2010 21:04
That is a crazy-amazing drawing. I’m kinda in awe of it right now. Would love to draw that that.
Lucky duck, I think The Guild is going to be there too. Jealous…
Scott-la you have to come to Indiana! No one comes to Indy.
July 16th, 2010 06:00
you see? this is why everybody’s dream super power should be teleportation! not all of us can drive or genetically program animals to provide transportation.
-Lizzy-wa OUT!
July 16th, 2010 06:51
i kno this has nothinq to do with thiss thread but waht ever happened to the uqlies “movie”,, juss sayinq .. im curious .. cause fi theyactually made a moviee a thinkk alot of people would wanna qo see iht .. im riqht riqhtt ??
July 16th, 2010 07:07
No no no, why would you want to teleport when you could FLY?!? Teleporting defeats the whole purpose… You miss the fun part in BETWEEN
July 16th, 2010 18:07
I would want to teleport and fly. That way u could choose wich one to do depending on how fast u want 2 get there and how long it would take normally.
July 16th, 2010 19:36
OOO cool! Now I really want to go to ComicCon… but it’s too far away. (Oh well.) I’m still going to try to convince my parents to take me to San Diego! Will you please post it if you have any appearences in the Wyoming-New Mexico-Colorado area? Or South Dakota if it’s in August?
July 17th, 2010 08:16
Wow. Only a month away. Where has the time gone? The Stamboul looks AWESOME! Can’t wait for more art in the book!
*excited*
July 17th, 2010 08:19
Wait, it’s NOT a month?! Aww man I’ve gotta wait some more. Guess I could always reread Leviathan to fill in the mind blanks I’m going to have. The ones where you always go, “Wait, when did THAT happen?”
(I’m dying on the inside though, believe me.)
July 18th, 2010 20:58
it comes out in October!?!?!?…….ANGST that is
too long of a wait!!!
Hannah….maybe you’re thinking of Hunger games, cause that one comes out in august
sometimes their are so many books coming out around the same time that it is hard to keep track of which comes out when
July 19th, 2010 01:30
Hannah, your definately thinking of The Hunger Games. I’m a big fan of those series so I know that the third book is coming out on August 24th.
July 19th, 2010 20:51
Yeah, I realize I was thinking of The Hunger Games. Thanks, Bookworm 1000 and Kristina-la!
July 19th, 2010 23:04
Your very welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 19th, 2010 23:22
no problem
I can’t wait for both of these books !
July 20th, 2010 01:10
Neither can I!!!! I just realized that i got comment 39. Yes!!!!!!!
July 23rd, 2010 02:30
Any chance you’ll be around on any other days?
July 23rd, 2010 19:28
You’re going to be at Comic-Con?! Why can I never go!?!
You should just mail me your autograph, seeing as I can’t make it. And while you’re at it, you should stick around at Comic-Con until Sunday, and snag me the autographs of everyone from Merlin. ^.^
August 11th, 2010 00:00
I have a question for all those who comment on here: Which do you think are cooler? Clankers or Beasties?
August 11th, 2010 00:00
Wow, it say 00:00 for the time on my comment above. AWESOME.
August 11th, 2010 00:01
And it still says 00:00 on the other too.
August 11th, 2010 07:01
You should just mail me your autograph, ugg bailey button boots
ugg knightsbridge bootsseeing as I can’t make it. And while you’re at it, you should stick around at Comic-Con until Sunday
August 12th, 2010 05:31
I didnt go to the comic-con even though it was just twenty minutes away… all my friends went though… awwww
December 21st, 2010 09:30
what is great post, i am very very so love it.