Can this really be the end?

Yes.

Now that we got that over with, yes, it’s the end of the Shares. It’s probably not the end of Ishmael Wang. I’ve had a couple of emails about not ending the series and I want to assure you that this series *must* end. It’s the last of the share levels. I can’t write another Share book.

What I can do is start another series. I can fill in the places where there are gaps. I have a whole universe of other stories to tell, some of which will have Ishmael Wang in them, I’m pretty sure.

I’d like to ask you to wait until you see what the ending of this series actually is before getting too upset.

After it’s over, you’ll have plenty of time to be peeved with me. :)

Now, fresh comment thread available. 26 should be up in the morning. Some of you will be cheering when it’s over.

This entry was posted in Books, Owner's Share. Bookmark the permalink.

490 Responses to Can this really be the end?

  1. norman728 says:

    Wow Call me Flummoxed. While I expected part of what Happened I was hoping it would go the other direction. so Now we have a few loose strings to tie up before the end of this journey.

  2. The Grey Wolf says:

    Knowing my luck Stacey is going to turn out to be the love child of Pip and one of the “Tag team twins” lol.

  3. Jason Randolph says:

    @The Grey Wolf – More likely she’d be Bev’s daughter attempting to get out from under her mother. ;)

  4. Jeffery says:

    A guess: Mr. Simpson sells his share to Jarvis, thereby royally @@ewing Ms. Meloney.

  5. Mycroft says:

    @Jeffery – In my opinion, selling to Jarvis directly shouldn’t trigger the default since he’d be a private investor. If DST bought the share, then she is possibly in trouble.

  6. Jamming says:

    @ NATE: Fix the link to Article 37, I had no problem figuring out where you wanted it to go, but right now it is broken.

    Who do readers know that had bright red hair or even normal red hair about twenty years ago? Think it could be Ishmael’s Son? Pip’s? Now Pip has proven himself able to lie to his father, could that be the same for Pip’s son?

  7. Richard says:

    @Nate: you fat-fingered (too many http’s) the link to the NEW section in the handbook. But I like your ability to
    Charm,
    Hoax,
    Evade,
    Allege, &
    Tease us. Keep up the good work.

  8. Nate says:

    Link fixed. Thanks … >,< Monday night's update is gonna be interesting.

  9. Adam says:

    Well, now that the auction is open again…time to buy a second ship? Capt’n Tomas and Avery can move on up. Seems unlikely that Stacey is the lost love child of an earlier character…no foreshadowing at all and Ish noted no resemblance to any past acquaintance.

  10. Memline says:

    I really don’t think Miss arellone is related to anyone, but it is “a small universe” after all. However, I think she is hooked to Ishmael because he took a chance on her and she just needed that. The poor girl was quick with a blade in order to protect herself and, therefore, ended up in the brig. Her problems were that she was ‘expected” to “perform” whether she wished to or not. Unlike Miss Davies from the Agamemnon, she had teeth to protect herself with. Being allowed to keep her blades and be safe on the Aggie was so relieving to her, that she thought the Captain was her reason for peace, as he was. A good character. thank you, Nate!

  11. Laith says:

    @Jeffery – to be honest I think even if DST bought out the share it wouldn’t mess up the deal.
    I would think
    1) a decent lawyer would argue that buying interest in the company to mess up the deal shouldn’t count. any efforts to break the will like that would have to be subtler.
    2) miss maloney could just transfer to a ship in a different company with Ish’s blessings. After being railroaded into doing what they wanted he wouldn’t be very co-operative in any actions that would make it a complete waste.

    any way, knowing Nate there is bound to be a surprise or two in store before the end. too many loose ends for him not to tie up a few.(he _never_ ties them all…:))

    Any bets on how early in the day Evo gets the update done?
    …28…28…28…

  12. Richard says:

    On Podiobooker Nate Said:

    January 23rd, 2011 at 9:57 am
    The story is *almost* over now. 28 will be the turning point. 29 has the aftermath. and 30 the denouement.It wraps up quite nicely in three longish epis.

    My 12 year old predicted the ending so I’m not gonna be too worried that it’s not obvious.

    Of course, she’s known me all her life and has just finished reading Bell’s “Plot and Structure” so she may have a bit of a leg up on the rest of you.

  13. Can’t … wait … until … tomorrow …

  14. (Ok, not *can’t*, but wish I didn’t have to. We shall have to listen to, um, let me see, episode 9 I believe is where we are in *re*-listening to Owner’s Share! I’m not sure our 2-year-old will go to sleep without it. :)

  15. Jason Randolph says:

    I’m pretty sure I know how it ends. Ish and his Chief sail off into the deep dark to keep on keeping on. Then end.

  16. Mark Ellwood says:

    I must have missed all the clues, ‘cos I really wanted to see Ish’ hook up with Ms Malone, and am a little sad for her and I now have no idea how it’s going to end…
    I have never been so mesmerised by a storyscape, a character, and a narrators voice. There are some great voices on podibooks but Nathan’s is one of the very best. Coping with the end of this story is going to be like getting off crack.
    The civilian & peaceful universe Nathan has created is truly refreshing and breathtaking in its scope for other tales – I will be waiting eagerly for anything he can produce in years to come.
    Thank you Nathan and here’s wishing you a long life and good health… time for many more tales.

  17. Jamming says:

    @ Memline – I think you mean the William Tinker not Agamemnon.

    I was wondering about 28 too, I want to conform my sleep around the release time.

  18. Aleks says:

    Well Nate said (on twitter) that 28 is due for release “monday update” which probobly will mean midnight gmt+1 *sobs a bit* #addicted

  19. Sean says:

    to start the day off right…

    Nathan, any updates on the hard bound HS copies? Please tell Ridan some of us would be willing to order in advance just to ensure we get the whole set over the next couple years…

    And…

    Time for the daily chant: Twenty-EIGHT, Twenty-EIGHT, Twenty-EIGHT! ;)

  20. Rasmus says:

    27 was a nice one as always cant wait to hear the next one^^
    Keep up the good work and thanks again.

  21. steve coutee says:

    hmm a wilki as a wedding gift to the chief woooo.

  22. Scott says:

    The rest of us agree!!! 28, 28, 28, 28…

  23. Griffyn says:

    Now what was that about Ms. Malone wanting to leave the western annex except the transportation costs to the core worlds was too high even for her zillionare father’s pockets… Exactly how long a set of legs are needed to get to the core worlds? 10? 12? 15? 50? Inquiring geeks want to know.

  24. Jamey says:

    Well, assuming the Core Worlds are to Galactic East of the Western Annex, then they’d funnel through either Chiba Sector, or Nuevo Samba Sector. Nuevo Samba looks to extend further east, but that’s 7 sectors distant, where Chiba is only 3. Still, much is made of Ish’s jumps being so long, so normal passage is easily 3-5 jumps per sector, and each jump costs 10-15 kilocreds. That adds up *fast*, and chances are, as the Core Worlds are going to be much more developed, passage there is going to be more expensive. It would not surprise me if reaching into the Core Worlds didn’t cost upwards of a megacred or so.

  25. Nate says:

    @sean – we’re *still* trying to get a decent galley proof of the hardbound books out of Lulu. I’m not sure what the problem is but they keep messing up the pages, trimming in the wrong places, etc. Soon as we get a shipment, it’ll be posted … There are 250 of them available and we won’t sell out right away. :)

    28 should drop in around 8 or 8.30 pm Mountain Time (GMT-7).

  26. Scott says:

    Thanks Nate,

    The twitching continues, twitch, twenty eight, twitch, listen to 26 & 27 again, twitch……

  27. Laith says:

    Yep. I’ve run out of my usual work listening so I reset back to 22 and I’m re-listening up to current for the rest of the workday.

  28. Robert Jackson says:

    Nate, as I was re-listening to the O/S last night, I noticed a small discrepancy. In episode 9 at 33:49 The capt takes delivery of a pallet of goods from the chandlery that “included the wipes I ordered along with the handles of mops and brooms”. But in Episode 14 around 4:07 Stacy asks the capt. about the order that has just arrived on the ship, ” No brooms, skipper? No swabs?” What happened to ones already on the ship? Pirates, Sar?

  29. Chris says:

    @Robert, I would have thought the same thing, but it caught my attention that he said the “handles” of mops and brooms. Without heads, they aren’t really brooms and mops. Still, might be something to correct in the print edition.

    @Nate, are you sure 250 hard covers is going to be enough? I wouldn’t want to miss out. Yes, I have the paperbacks already, but I want the hard covers also. (My wife was the one that insisted to re-sign the Quarter Share book I’d ordered. I was happy with an autograph, but she wanted it dedicated.) As soon as O.S. is done, I’m going to go back and listen to Q.S. for the 16th time. :)

  30. Lars E says:

    have to agree with Chris over there.As soon as i get my salary i am planning to buy the books that is out and i will be very sad if its all sold out by that time :P (HAVE to be the signed ones of course :D )

  31. Chrisp says:

    *Spoiler*
    Like Nate said, Ish correctly identified this wanderer as Mr Tharp, the “small universe” quote being the dead-giveaway.

    @laith and scott – yeah, I know the feeling, work is slow plus 3 hrs of commuting a day, so I’ve probably listened to each episode at least 4 times now… Not to mention “pregaming” by listening to the whole series before Owner’s Share dropped.

  32. Sean says:

    Thanks, Nate! I’ll watch closely.

    Bet we overload Ridans server next…

  33. Scott says:

    I’m listening to HS like it’s, you know methadone. No really with Nate working on HS and all the different comments going, I thought it was better than doing OS chapters 1-27 again.

    Chant: 28, 28, 28, 28…..

  34. Lisa says:

    @ Nate: Not all good stories need to be part of a series. If the writer can transport the reader/listener into the story and when every character *speaks with a strong and true voice,* what more could a fan ask for? Some of my favorite authors do both series and free standing books, and I await them with equal longing.

    That said, it does take a bit more time and effort to fully develop new characters and settings — you may need to rethink the upper word limit a bit. I’m not saying spew meaningless maximum verbosity, but take your time and enchant us with different worlds!

    Your 1000 true fans will look forward to anything/everything you create! (raises coffee mug) Here’s to the thrill of untold stories and new beginings!

    Lisa

  35. Ada says:

    Barbarian chant: 28! 28! 28!

  36. mrsunshine says:

    I am just hope ya dont kill him off, sight?

  37. Donovan says:

    i just love how a good third of the first couple books revolves around coffee, and even the new one has some episode info’s involving paperwork and clothes shopping, Ishmael has gotten into all of 3 fights in the entire series and 1 near death experience, and I’m just as wrapped in as I would be if he were a secret agent.

  38. Scott says:

    Everyone join in:
    28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28! 28!

  39. Nate says:

    @mrsunshine – i promised not to kill him off in this book.

  40. impatient says:

    I spy with my little eye something beginning with 28….
    http://media.podiobooks.com/ownersshare/PB-OwnersShare-28.mp3

  41. The Grey Wolf says:

    Interesting episode, I found the (Article 37) to be a nice outcome. Also the (Article 37) and the (Article 37) to be well worth the wait.

  42. Sean says:

    Woo-hoo! It’s UP! Time for a listen.

    Now, to get a good head start, everyone pound the table and chant:

    Twenty-NINE! Twenty-NINE! Twenty-NINE!!

  43. dick says:

    (Article 37) amazing
    ty Nate…
    I wish I had the willpower and character not to say anything like ‘twenty-nine’. :-)

  44. norman728 says:

    The thing about Article 37 is Article 37.

  45. Mycroft says:

    @Nate — don’t think I can use {Article 37} enough….

  46. Sherri says:

    I gobbled your whole bag of cookies, very quickly. Now I am at the last cookie and I only take smal bits. For I never want to finish the entire bag. Thank you so much for feeding my soul.

  47. Yan says:

    Damn! [Article 37]
    Sorry… have to… need to… ‘twenty-nine’, ‘twenty-nine’…

  48. RickS says:

    Nate I am just shocked with (Article 37). I can`t believe you did that. I wonder whats next.

  49. Sal says:

    Alright, I think I know the answer to this but, the Article 37 intro has me wondering. After listening to the Episode, I can certainly understand why you want to prevent spoilers and I’m hoping that’s the whole reason for it – there is a 29 right? You wouldn’t do that to us, would you Nate?

  50. Graham says:

    I hate [article 37 – location]!!! I will NEVER be visiting!!! I need the next episode to recover..[article 37 – emotion]…Off to listen to the episode again, hoping for something different.

Comments are closed.