Comments on: Free E-Book, Me Spouting Off

By: Cam Turner

Cam Turner — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:55:17 +0000

Not to restart a dead thread or anything but I find it odd that no one commented on the Spacejock mention but the author. I read the online book and quite liked it.

My review (below) is summarized with this:

Snarky robots, bumbling pilots, tonnes of silly humor and Deus ex Machina at every turn make Hal Spacejock a perfect summer beach book for those in need of a good chuckle. Australia’s Simon Haynes successfully lampoons the bedrock of science fiction themes and doesn’t take himself seriously… at all.

The rest of my thoughts on my site..

http://www.ireadscifi.com/hal-spacejock-by-simon-haynes/

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:44:36 +0000

Oops! I should check my facts more carefully before I opine. While I might be able to quibble about Gary Wolf and Paul Cornell (remeber I said “primarily” wrote, not exclusively wrote) even by my reckoning Joe Mallozzi is someone who “primarily” in the production of visual science fiction.

Cheers
Andrew

By: Simon Haynes

Simon Haynes — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:23:06 +0000

Thanks for the link and the mention, John. When book 5 rolls around I’ll have to think of something else to wrap it in. (I remember you saying you’d never had a book from Antarctica … maybe I’ll include some of that famous yellow snow?)

:-)

Cheers
Simon

By: Michael I

Michael I — Wed, 28 May 2008 23:09:47 +0000

Strange filtering games…

Apparently the filtering software at work (websense, I think) has the SF Signal site classified as a “malicious website”.

I have NO idea why.

By: Miss Ivonne

Miss Ivonne — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:46:04 +0000

Poor Avril. It’s hard enough to be Canadian that I think we should cut her a little extra slack. (Canadian-born David Rakoff’s opening story in his Don’t Get Too Comfortable has a hilarious riff on what it’s like to live next to a cultural behemoth. So easy to lose one’s way.

By: John Scalzi

John Scalzi — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:58:44 +0000

Andrew:

“Not a single comment came from someone primarily in the production of visual science fiction.”

Well, there’s Joe Mallozzi, who is the producer of Stargate: Atlantis. And Paul Cornell, who writes for Doctor Who. And Gary K. Wolf, whose book was the basis for a classic animated film. And of course I have been a working film critic/columnist on and off since 1991 and am the author of a book on science fiction film.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:55:18 +0000

What struck me was that all of the comments came from folks who primarily wrote science fiction. Not a single comment came from someone primarily in the production of visual science fiction. While I did not disagree with any of the comments, it did lend a certain tone to the discussion that was not agreeable. Underlying many, if not all of the comments was the opinion that written science fiction was superior to visual science fiction, and chagrin that visual science fiction made more money.

Again I don’t necessary disagree with tone, I think some balance from some of the T.V. and movie guys would have been nice.

Cheers
Andrew

By: Pengwenn

Pengwenn — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:26:11 +0000

Ha! The SF Signal’s link was blocked by my browser at work as “malicious material”. That must have been some kind of article. I guess I’ll have to wait until I get home to read it.

By: John Scalzi

John Scalzi — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:06:51 +0000

I like some of his work more than others. I’m inexplicably fond of the symphony which is just one long E chord.

By: Rob Thornton

Rob Thornton — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:04:45 +0000

Glenn Branca to Avril Lavigne–go figure. BTW, Mr. Scalzi, what do you think of Branca? Didn’t know your tastes went thataway….