Monthly Archives: July 2009
On Charles Brown
Posted on July 14, 2009 13 Comments
People have been asking if I have any particular memories of Locus editor/publisher Charles Brown, whose death on the way home from ReaderCon has prompted a flood of reminisces and tributes in the science fiction quarters of the Internet. My own memories of him are relatively few; I’m closer to the younger members of the […]
RIP, Charles Brown
Posted on July 13, 2009 16 Comments
The Locus Web site has just posted that Charles Brown, the magazine’s publisher, editor and co-founder, died yesterday on his way back from Readercon. More later; I’m busy handling some other stuff right at the moment. But certainly my thoughts are with my friends at Locus, and with Charles’ loved ones.
Fiction and Non
Posted on July 12, 2009 7 Comments
Marissa Lingen writes up her experience of writing fiction and writing non-fiction, and how the two are different (and, also and importantly, how the two are alike). It’s an interesting read and you should check it out. For me, the major difference between my writing fiction and writing non-fiction is that with non-fiction I generally […]
Helping Someone Helping Someone Else
Posted on July 12, 2009 9 Comments
A note from agent Colleen Lindsay: A good pal of mine, writer Aaron Allston, is bouncing back after having had a massive heart attack while on book tour; he had to have an emergency quadruple bypass and now he’s face with staggering medical bills. The Fandom Society of Texas has started a non-profit to collect […]
Oh, Dick
Posted on July 12, 2009 141 Comments
What? Dick Cheney allegedly ordered the CIA to lie to Congress about some stuff it was doing? Who could have imagined? I mean, Dick Cheney always struck me as the open and communicative type, personally. I have a general theory regarding Cheney, which is that a fundamental psychological trait of his is that he’s a […]
Your Sunday Musical Obscurity
Posted on July 12, 2009 7 Comments
From 1990 or so, the Scottish band Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, with their not-precisely-a-hit “Blacker Than Black”: I always enjoyed this tune, mostly because any song that starts “Death is a pony that’s waiting for me/His name is Luigi, he’s tied to a black tree” has got to be performed by the truly commited. Incidentally, some […]
TLC (or DLK) a Deutscher Phantastik Preis Nominee
Posted on July 11, 2009 7 Comments
This is nice: The German version of The Last Colony has been nominated for the 2009 Deutscher Phantastik Preis, in the category of Best International Novel. The entire slate of nominees in the category: Brian Keene: Der lange Weg nach Hause (Otherworld Verlag) Cassandra Clare: Chroniken der Unterwelt – City of Bones (Arena) John Scalzi: […]
I Teared Up When I Saw This
Posted on July 11, 2009 30 Comments
Because, yes. I know how he suffers. (Hat tip to the fabulous Karen Meisner)
Topping Today’s List of Things That Probably Shouldn’t Make Me As Happy As They Do
Posted on July 11, 2009 34 Comments
A Coke Zero tallboy. Now all I need to see is a Coke Zero 40 ounce and I can die happy.
In the Absence of Me Having Anything in Particular To Say Today
Posted on July 11, 2009 13 Comments
Have a video of a song I liked, oh, 20 years ago: The band: An Emotional Fish, thus proving that bands with terrible names can make reasonably good music. This is actually the first time that I’ve seen video in all that time, however. Interesting. And not a speck of blue in it.
Russian Before and After
Posted on July 10, 2009 25 Comments
Eksmo, my Russian publisher, recently re-upped its license for Old Man’s War, which I was happy about, but what I’m even happier about is that the new version of the book no longer has the “completely unrelated angry soldiers taken from Warhammer 40,000” artwork of the original print run (on the left, above); instead they’ve […]
A Handy Tip for Publicists
Posted on July 10, 2009 41 Comments
When you are sending out a press release to promote a book, do try to make sure that the second half of your press release doesn’t devolve into Martian gibberish, even if the author you are promoting is science fiction’s own Robert Silverberg. Most of us don’t read Martian, and those of us who do, […]
Various & Sundry, 7/10/09
Posted on July 10, 2009 21 Comments
Let’s see, what am I thinking today: * Having finished The Project I Can’t Tell You About Yet, the question now becomes what I do next. And the short answer to that is: No idea. The PICTYAY was one on a list of possible things to do; now that it’s done, I suppose I’ll go […]
They’re Talking About Me — In SPACE
Posted on July 9, 2009 30 Comments
A quick video featurette about me over on the official Stargate Web site, in which Stargate:Universe producer Brad Wright discusses my participation and whether I’ll get around to writing a script for the show. I’ve mentioned before that working on the series has been a total blast, and I’ll reiterate it again; it’s been really […]
Here, Have a Mailbag
Posted on July 9, 2009
One nice thing about being done with the writing project ASIDE FROM BEING DONE W00T! is that I can remind you that I have an AMC column up today, in which I explain why we’re not actually in danger of seeing a Transformers flick become the most successful Sf movie ever, why Moon was never […]
Done!
Posted on July 9, 2009 25 Comments
The project I was working on is now complete! I’m very pleased. What is it, you ask? Well, let me tell you — No, wait, I can’t tell you yet. Sorry. Soon, though. But, hey! It’s done! And I’m happy with it. Go me. On a more technical note, this means my blogging hiatus is […]
Out ’til 7/13
Posted on July 5, 2009 94 Comments
The project I’m working on has gotten to the “damn it I just want this thing done” phase, which in this case is nicely and thankfully coinciding with the “hey, now I know where I’m going with all this and I just need to type it up” phase. So I’m leaving you all, the better […]
Various and Sundry, 7/4/09
Posted on July 4, 2009 22 Comments
First off: Happy Independence Day! Here in the US we’re celebrating the day we kicked Britain to the curb, what, 233 years ago? Sigh. We were all so different then, weren’t we. And look at us now: The US and UK, totally all “friends with benefits.” Oh, UK. We love your accents. Now, then: * […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying