Monthly Archives: January 2009
Fiscally Sound
Posted on January 31, 2009 27 Comments
To the person who just sent me e-mail wondering how I might be affected by Pajamas Media closing their advertising network as of April 1: Wait, what? Not only am I not a member of the PM ad network, but a quick glance at the site reveals that there is in fact no paid advertising […]
Your Saturday Amusement
Posted on January 31, 2009 40 Comments
Fake covers to fake novelizations of real films — done in 60s style. Awesome.
Stab Stab Stab: A Quiz
Posted on January 30, 2009 82 Comments
So, I’m cranky. Knowing me all as you do, do you suspect it’s because: a) I have low blood sugar at the moment; b) The world actually is a cesspool of petty hate and ultimate lameness, filled with people whose brains would be an embarrassment even to lower orders of mollusks. It’s one or the […]
Metatropolis ARC; eBear Giveaway
Posted on January 30, 2009 15 Comments
Hey, look what I got: It’s the ARC for the printed version of the Metatropolis anthology, and I have to say it looks great: cool cover, great interior design, and rumor is, the stories inside are not so shabby, either. The people who get it (and it could be you!) are definitely going to pet […]
Tools of Change Appearance
Posted on January 30, 2009 14 Comments
For those of you planning to go to or thinking of attending the O’Reilly Tools of Change conference in New York City, February 9 – 11th, be aware that I’ll be there and I’ll be on a panel that is in fact pretty much about this very Web site: “Where Do You Go with 40,000 […]
Screwy Server
Posted on January 30, 2009 10 Comments
The backend of Whatever is running a bit slow at the moment, so you may experience some difficulties/lag in posting comments. Don’t panic. Technology is nutty sometimes. Hopefully this will all sort itself out soon. As you were.
Here, Have a Pimp Thread
Posted on January 29, 2009 102 Comments
It’s been more than a month since I’ve done a pimp thread, and folks are sending me e-mails wondering when the next one will be because they have something they want to promote, and while I enjoy their piteous cries, my cruel nature doesn’t run that deep. So: Here you go folks. Tell us what […]
I Wanna See This
Posted on January 29, 2009
This week’s AMC column is has a pretty simple topic: Five SF/F books I think would make good movies — if they got the right filmmakers (Children of Men, above, being an example of a good adaptation of a good SF novel). The list mixes classics and current hits, and of course you’re encouraged to […]
Because it Had to Happen
Posted on January 28, 2009 20 Comments
Yes, BaconCamp.You know you want to go. Ironically, I am already scheduled against it. But maybe I’ll send BaconCat.
Reasonably Unscrewed-Up Character ≠ Mary Sue
Posted on January 28, 2009 133 Comments
When Mary and I were doing the Q & A portion of our Borderlands Books appearance, I went off the ranch a bit and kvetched about one of my pet peeves concerning science fiction reviewers, which is the assumption that any main character who is not screwed-up is somehow automatically a Mary Sue wish fulfillment […]
Snow Day
Posted on January 28, 2009 50 Comments
That is, if you’re ten. I still have to work. Stupid adult responsibilities. Mind you, at the moment I’m working in a bathrobe. But you get my point. And it’s still snowing. Wheee!
Why I So Infrequently Wear a Bowler Hat
Posted on January 27, 2009 56 Comments
Because I’m about 30 years too old to pull off the “adorable street urchin” look, that’s why. Photo by my friend Doselle, who I suspect the bowler hat would have looked much better on. Bowler hat via my pal Brian, who in fact it did look better on. It takes a special sort of man […]
Here it Comes
Posted on January 27, 2009 52 Comments
Big storm on its way — well, the leading edge is already here, because snow is falling. We’re expecting between five and eleven inches of snow, which is, for those of you not up on these things, quite a bit for a single day (Canadian and Alaskans — yes, yes, we know. You laugh at […]
The Big Idea: Carrie Vaughn
Posted on January 27, 2009 26 Comments
Werewolves and radio talk shows? Who’da thought they would be two great tastes that go great together? Carrie Vaughn, that’s who, and a good thing that she did. She’s taken that idea an parlayed it into the New York Times bestselling “Kitty Norville” series, in which a lycanthropic radio host has all sorts of wild […]
Patience: Not Very 2009
Posted on January 26, 2009 113 Comments
Is it just me, or is what’s coming out of various political circles something like the following — “Obama: He’s been in office almost a week. So why isn’t everything better already?” — with the subtext being that if the man hasn’t solved everything in the first 100 hours, his administration is clearly a failure. […]
21st Century Vroom
Posted on January 26, 2009 40 Comments
At the reading Mary Robinette Kowal and I did in San Francisco, one member of the audience was wearing a Tesla Motors T-Shirt, and in conversation he mentioned he wasn’t just wearing it as an affectation, he really did work at Tesla Motors. At which point I used my Jedi mind tricks to get him […]
The Complete “John and Mary Show You Their Shorts”
Posted on January 26, 2009 10 Comments
John Nichols, who recorded my and Mary Robinette Kowal’s reading at Borderlands Books on January 16th, has thoughtfully chopped up the audio files of the performance into the individual stories and events, thus keeping me from having to do so myself, for which he wins my eternal gratitude. So for those of you who are […]
Fame, of a Twisted Sort
Posted on January 25, 2009 32 Comments
You know you are of some strange level of notability when not only does your cat Twitter, but so does your ego. For the record, I write neither of those. I have no idea who does. I do assume it’s not really my cat or my ego, however. I think I would know.
Still Alive
Posted on January 25, 2009 29 Comments
In fact, I just got home. Now I don’t have to do any travel for two whole weeks! Golly, I hardly know what to do with myself.
I’m Alive
Posted on January 24, 2009 29 Comments
I’m just away from the computer today. Don’t worry, I didn’t fall down a well or anything. Carry on.
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying