[O]ne needn’t be an avid blogger/blog reader to enjoy this collection of thoughtful and engaging essays. The entries are nearly without fail erudite, charming, almost frighteningly well-informed and presented with an unapologetic confidence both compelling and disarming… this collection of essays is worthy of being read as a stand-alone work of huge entertainment and informational value. Such a strong modern journalistic voice presented outside of online format is refreshing, frankly, as is finding such a respected figure in SF&F well-rounded enough to write on such a variety of topics.
I can’t complain about any of that. And it is good to know that someone who isn’t a regular reader of Whatever might still find this book worth reading; it’s one of the things I would hope for, actually.
As long as we’re talking about Hate Mail, incidentally, I’ll note to folks that Subterranean Press tells me it’s down to the last 70 or so copies of the hardcover edition. If you’re actually hoping to get a physical copy of your own to love and squeeze and hold tight to your chest on those long nights, now is a good time to do it, either through Subterranean (in which case it will come with the additional chapbook Waiting for Athena), or through Amazon (in which case it won’t). It’s also available in eBook form through Webscriptions, and will be part of the Hugo Voter Package when it goes up a bit later in the month.