Blindsight 2nd Printing; TAD Review in Flint Journal Review
Posted on December 24, 2006 Posted by John Scalzi 12 Comments
Congratulations to Peter Watts: His book Blindsight is indeed headed for a second printing, giving more folks an opportunity to check it out. As you may recall, the second printing appeared in some doubt earlier, so I’m glad to see the book has reached that milestone.
Watts has graciously given some credit for this to me and Cory Doctorow and Kathryn Cramer, all of whom had pimped the book enthusiastically, and assures us each that we will receive a third of his first born. I think Peter will have to need to clear that with his first born’s eventual mother, who may be surprised at his plans, and take exception to them. Also, I’m not entirely sure what I would do with a third of a first born, or, also, how to explain how I came in possession of said third to whichever law enforcement official would inevitably question me about said possession. It may be better all the way around if said theoretical first born stay in one piece, and in Peter’s custody. But I appreciate the thought.
As for me, The Android’s Dream has garnered another positive review, this time through the good graces of Gene Mierzejewski of the Flint Journal Review:
This is a zany, exciting and hilarious yarn that spins in more directions than a weather vane in a tornado… “Android’s Dream” is a joy that provides more proof that John Scalzi soon will command a slot among the genre’s best-loved authors.
Shucks. And here I was planning to become one of the genre’s best-loved authors by embedding candy in every book I sell. But I’ve been informed by Tor that the “candy-encrusted pages” plan had to be suspended because caramel wreaks havoc with the printing presses. Clearly we need a new generation of candy-tolerant presses, and I call on engineers everywhere to solve this pressing crisis.
One other bit of book trivia: When I checked my Amazon rankings this morning, as all authors do the first thing they do in the morning, before they shower or shave or even open their eyes (the braille reader is paying off!), I saw that Old Man’s War was ranked at 1,041, and The Ghost Brigades was at 1,042. Sequential Amazon rankings for sequential Scalzi books! I love it when teh Intarweebs line up their tubes like that to amuse me.
“pressing crisis”
Owww!
Oh, come on. That was comedy gold.
Clearly Peter is planning on triplets for his firstborn. The future mother of his children may want to reconsider.
If you put a library card pocket in the back of the book, you could include bubble gum. Instead of baseball cards, it could have SF/F author cards. Or Zombie cards.
Greatest Zombies of the past 400 years. I like it.
(And I bet you can sell Chang at least 20 copies).
Good for Watts! I emailed him upon completing Blindsight and reading about the 2nd printing. I got this back in return:
Never, ever buy a computer from Dell. Dell is why you are receiving this autoresponse instead of a live one: I’m offline while my irreparably-fried hard drive gets replaced, and while I rebuild my files and apps from the ground up. Your e-mail has not been lost: *I* have been. Chances are I’ll be able to get back to you in a week or so.
In case you’re interested, this is the second time in 18 months that my Dell hard drive has fried. Motherboard has also been replaced twice during the same period. Power supply, three times. Tech support has improved over that period from downright insulting to borderline acceptable, but “Customer Service” remains, at best, a phrase steeped in irony.
So, once again: receipt of your e-mail has been delayed but not cancelled; and, Never Buy From Dell.
Thank you.
Peter
I love this guy. A crank like me.
Hooray for Scalzi! I am all about candy embedded in books. It’s the kind of embedding I support.
Chang feels very zombieish these days. Zombinist? Zombinian? Zombitious?
Chang: the word you’re looking for is “zombtacular.” You know, like when you having a cerebellaration.
John: Just have them print the books as usual, then glue those little candy buttons on the cover. People on buses and in cafes will pause between chapters to suck on their books. That’s comedy gold!
BTW: Based on your rec, me, Blitzen and Comet requested Muse on the sleigh sound system this year. But the big guy is a huge puss and a diehard Ray Conniff fan. So it’s “Somewhere My Love” on a loop for the next 24. Somebody stab me with my own antlers.
And here I was planning to become one of the genre’s best-loved authors by embedding candy in every book I sell.
Dude, you’re doing that. Don’t sweat it. Anyway, sooner or later that candy will be butterscotch, and I’ll finally get to give you that bad review you’re overdo for, as this track-record thing of yours has been making me look like a suckup.
The Android’s Dream was intresting. Fun but intresting not like the others. I got it from the Library and was not able to renew it. There is a hold list of over 50 people.
Your new layout for Whatever is cool.
I was in the Anchorage B&N Thursday last, TAD and Blindsight were next to each other on the New Releases self. The guy next to me was bitching that “there’s nothing new in SCIFI anymore.” I pointed at both TAD and Blindsight. He took both and went away happy. So at least I’m doing my part.
I’m about 3/4 of the way through Blindsight now, started reading it as the download CC copy, then switched over to the paper when my copy from Amazon arrived. Excellent book so far, nice to be able to add another “must read” author to my list.
I also emailed Peter and got the same response as Chang. My brother had exactly the same problem with Dell.
Scalzi, I think you should continue with your plan to embed candy in every novel. Chocolate please, and keep it coming.
I bet Athena would like 1/3 of a firstborn. You should check with her before turning she/he/it down.
I think what you’re being offered isn’t an actual third of a child, but a one-third interest in Watts’ first-born.
Sorta like a stock option. Supposing they hypothetical child follows in its father’s footsteps and grows up to become a peachy-keen sci-fi writer, with the semi-trailers filled with cash that inevitably follow, imagine the scene: He or she is lying there, wallowing in a pile of money, when there’s a knock on the door. He/she answers, to find three people standing there.
“Hi, we’re John and Kathryn and Cory. Your father may have never told you about this, but, well, to put it simply, all your bucks are belong to us.”
Perhaps the third he offers is of the bills?
–ml