Monthly Archives: August 2006
Pluton?
Posted on August 16, 2006 47 Comments
The latest on the solar system: a proposal for 12 planets, which would reintroduce Ceres as a planet (ha! Take that, history!), albeit as a “dwarf planet,” reclassify Pluto’s moon Charon as a planet, and dub both Pluto and Charon as “Plutons,” to distinguish them from “dwarf planets,” I suppose, although apparently they will be […]
A Special Message From Scott “Pluto Hayta” Westerfeld
Posted on August 15, 2006 36 Comments
In the interest of fairness, after having Scott Westerfeld consumed by Cthulhu for his heretical Pluto-hatin’ ways, it’s only right that I link to his rationale for not considering Pluto a planet. Follow the logic, such as it is.
A Special Message for Scott “Pluto Hayta” Westerfeld
Posted on August 14, 2006 85 Comments
As many of you may know from this comment thread, Scott Westerfeld, noted author of Peeps and the upcoming The Last Days, while otherwise a perfectly cromulent human, is nevertheless a confirmed Pluto Hayta, dedicated to the proposition that our smallest planet is not, in fact, a planet at all. Well, I told this little […]
Peapod Classics
Posted on August 14, 2006 16 Comments
Speaking of trusting your publishers to know what they’re doing, over the weekend Small Beer Press sent along to me the three books in their Peapod Classics line, Howard Waldrop’s Howard Who?, Naomi Mitchison’s Travel Light, and Carol Emshwiller’s Carmen Dog, and I found myself inclined to like the books even before I actually, you […]
Justine on No Control
Posted on August 14, 2006 6 Comments
Justine Larbalestier points to all the things an author has no control over, which is useful information for when, say, you look at a book cover and wonder to yourself what the hell the author was thinking. Justine’s list is pretty much correct (there are a couple other additions to the list in the comment […]
Commenting Note
Posted on August 13, 2006 46 Comments
At the behest of Patrick Nielsen Hayden, I have changed the comments slightly so that the name of the commenter will now appear before their comment, not afterward. I also fiddled with the presentation of the comments slightly to make that relationship more clear. This change is effective globally, including on previous comment threads. Hopefully […]
Three things, 8/11/06
Posted on August 11, 2006 4 Comments
First, a picture of the sunflower in our garden. Because it’s pretty, that’s why: Second, a reminder that tomorrow I’ll be at the Mary Ann Mongan Branch of the Kenton County Public Library, In Covington, KY, from 2pm to 4pm. I’ll be talking about science fiction, possibly reading from one or another of my writings, […]
International Astronomical Union to the Pluto Haters: Suck It
Posted on August 11, 2006 62 Comments
Man, this is makes me almost ridiculously happy: An international panel has unanimously recommended that Pluto retain its title as a planet, and it may be joined by other undersized objects that revolve around the sun. Yes! Ha! Take that, Rose Center for Earth and Space! You’re wrong! Wrong wrong wrongy wrong wrong! Also, you’re […]
A Brief Moment of Recognition for the People Who Comment
Posted on August 11, 2006 48 Comments
You know what, over the last three days here at the Whatever, I’ve posted on two of the most flamey subjects around at the moment — fanfic and Joe Lieberman — and there have been hundreds of posts on these subjects from all sorts of people, who hold a full range of opinions of the […]
A San Diego Thing
Posted on August 10, 2006 16 Comments
So, I’m going to be in San Diego prior to Worldcon and I’m thinking of perhaps trying to pull off a reading or meet and greet. Those of you in San Diego (or thereabouts): Would there be interest? I’m thinking possibly the evening of the 21st.
First Chapter of Wings to the Kingdom
Posted on August 10, 2006 10 Comments
Hey! The first chapter of Cherie Priest’s upcoming novel Wings to the Kingdom is up at Apex Science Fiction and Horror. I’ve gotten a sneak at the whole book and I’m here to tell you that if you enjoyed Cherie’s Four and Twenty Blackbirds (and I sure did), this one’s gonna knock your socks off, […]
Follow-up on Crimes of Fanfic
Posted on August 10, 2006 88 Comments
Lots of very interesting and generally civil discussion coming out in the Crimes of Fanfic thread, for which I am pleased. As some folks have surmised, I did in fact frame the discussion in a particular and confrontational way regarding fanfic and plagiarism, because I was interested in hearing from fanficcers and their readers on […]
Wednesday Author Interview: Naomi Kritzer
Posted on August 9, 2006 4 Comments
Over at By The Way I’ve got an interview with Naomi Kritzer, whose terrific “Dead Rivers Trilogy” reaches its conclusion with the release of Freedom’s Sisters. I’ve been a fan of Naomi’s writing for a while now, and I think she’s a neat person, so interviewing her was a lot of fun. Enjoy.
A Reminder
Posted on August 9, 2006 14 Comments
Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs. (Hat tip: Elizabeth Bear)
Lieberman in Exile
Posted on August 9, 2006 119 Comments
Look, it’s over. Lieberman lost his chance at re-election to the US Senate last night, and come November, he’s going to lose again. The difference is that he will lose in November for entirely separate reasons than the ones which caused him to lose last night. Last night, he lost because of his support for […]
Crimes of Fanfic
Posted on August 8, 2006 317 Comments
A couple of e-mails have come in recently — whether independently or coordinated, I can’t say — asking me if I had any comment about what seems to be a long-running kerfuffle in the Harry Potter fandom about a particular fanfic author who allegedly plagiarized other works in the construction of her own fanfic story. […]
TAD ARC
Posted on August 8, 2006 5 Comments
Look! Out there in space! Floating like a sheep-branded monolith! It’s the Advance Reader Copy of The Android’s Dream! The cover of the ARC, incidentally, not being the cover of the final book, but actually an inside illustration. I know the ARC is beginning to make the rounds, so it’ll be interesting to find out […]
Calling all Computer Geeks
Posted on August 8, 2006 23 Comments
I’m looking at the specs for the new Mac Pros, and I need a little help understanding the details. Primarily: a) Are the dual-core 2.66 GHz Intel Xeon processors on the new Mac Pro as fast/powerful as (or faster/more powerful than), say, a Core 2 Duo processor of equivalent speed? b) Does having two dual-core […]
The Tragedy of Orthodoxy
Posted on August 8, 2006 46 Comments
Mark Helprin, who wrote Winter’s Tale, which is possibly my favorite book ever, is interviewed at length here. It’s an interesting interview, less for the questions (which are pretty standard) but because Helprin is such an odd duck. As the magazine Helprin’s being interviewed in appears to be a right-leaning one, and Helprin himself is […]
News That Makes Me Wish I Already Had My Schadenfreude.us Site Up and in Full Effect, Yo
Posted on August 7, 2006 31 Comments
Bid to remove DeLay’s name from ballot tossed Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Monday rejected a request by Texas Republicans to block an appeals court ruling that says former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s name must appear on the November ballot. Antonin Scalia, people. Clearly, an activist judge.
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying