Monthly Archives: August 2009
To the Gentleman at Slashdot Who Points Out That R2-D2 Totally Has Jets to Climb Stairs, DUH
Posted on August 20, 2009 87 Comments
When you think employing jet thrusters is a perfectly reasonable way to get a droid up some stairs: a) you may not be grasping the fundamentals of that whole “good design” thing; b) it’s called the “sun.” Get out into it. I have a Slashdot account so I can’t be throwing stones, but, damn, y’all.
Re: The Science Fiction Failure Mode
Posted on August 20, 2009 138 Comments
Since I’m saying it other places, I thought I’d note it here as well: regarding the oh-so-defensive shibboleth that “Star Wars isn’t science fiction, it’s fantasy!”: Well, no. This argument is often provided by people who can’t stand that Star Wars is (correctly) regarded as science fiction despite the fact that its science is so […]
They Are NOT Amused
Posted on August 20, 2009 84 Comments
Some of the denizens of Slashdot do not feel that my AMC column today is in the least bit entertaining. Please enjoy the angry angry comments (and, of course, the less angry, more amused ones as well). I do hope AMC’s servers don’t melt.
Quick Note to Would-Be Interviewers
Posted on August 20, 2009 15 Comments
I’ve recently been getting a number of interview requests where the interviewer wants to do the Q&A with a procedural “hook” — i.e., some gimmick ostensibly to make the interview more fun and and interesting (“Answer as if you’re in the middle of being waterboarded!” “The questions are in the form of palindromes!” etc). Well, […]
Still Life With Cat and Book
Posted on August 20, 2009 18 Comments
Because who doesn’t like cats? And books? Illiterate dog-fanciers, I suppose, but there’s not much chance of them coming here. Aside from giving the increasingly unruly Ghans ogh Ghlaghghee a gheline ghix, this post also serves notice that according to Subterranean Press, who would know, the print version of METAtropolis is now out and shipping. […]
It’s a (Bad Design) Trap!
Posted on August 20, 2009
Today at AMC, I post up ten examples of truly bad design in the Star Wars universe, of which R2-D2 and C-3PO are just two examples. Yes, they are very poorly designed indeed. Search your heart. You know it to be true. I explain all there. Head over and feel free to agree with me […]
Tornado (Watch) Clouds
Posted on August 19, 2009 24 Comments
In case you’re wondering what the sky looks like when the weather radio tells you to consider heading for your basement. Most of these are past us now.
Today’s Reminder That Hollywood is a Strange Place
Posted on August 19, 2009 35 Comments
The guys who produced Terminator: Salvation, a worldwide hit, have filed for bankruptcy: Even though the movie has sold a healthy $370 million worth of tickets around the world and has yet to be released on DVD and in other post-theatrical markets, Anderson and Kubicek apparently couldn’t stay afloat. As detailed in yesterday’s lawsuits, they […]
Here, Have a Cookie
Posted on August 19, 2009 43 Comments
Athena has to make peanut butter cookies for a 4-H project she’s doing, so she’s been baking a bit over the last couple of days, and my job, since I’m not allowed to help her make the cookies (by the 4-H rules), is to act as the official taste tester, and provide my thoughts and […]
The Big Idea: Lev Grossman
Posted on August 19, 2009 36 Comments
After a bit of a summer vacation, the Big Idea is back! And to kick things off, author Lev Grossman is here with The Magicians, his new fantasy novel, which aside from starred reviews in Booklist and Library Journal, has prompted no less than George R.R. Martin (who knows from fantasy) to declare that it […]
You Think You Know a Guy
Posted on August 18, 2009 31 Comments
This article in the Boston Globe today suggests that even your closest friends are in some fundamental ways strangers to you — and that this is not necessarily a bad thing. While not 100% on board with the methodology of the survey on which the researchers base their conclusions, I find the general proposition largely […]
I Suspect Some Mockery
Posted on August 18, 2009 41 Comments
A series of Scalzi LOLHugos over at MightyGodKing.com: The rest are possibly not safe for work. Yes, yes. Laugh it up, friends. Me and my HUGO AWARD WINNING HAWESOMEOSITY can take it.
Big Idea Update
Posted on August 17, 2009 17 Comments
I’ve had questions from folks wondering about the status of Big Ideas here on Whatever and on the upcoming BigIdeaAuthors.com site, so I thought I’d do a quick update on both: 1. The BigIdeaAuthors.com site has now been constructed and ready to be populated with content, which we’ll be doing over the next few weeks […]
Squirrels and Podcasts
Posted on August 16, 2009 15 Comments
First, via Jeff Hentosz: Oh Noes! The Hugos have been photocrashed! Oh, quiet. The meme isn’t officially overplayed until next Tuesday. We’re in under the wire. Second, Tor.com has a podcast interview with me, done at Anticipation, in which I talk about various things, including METAtropolis, the state of science fiction, young adult novels and […]
The State of the Office
Posted on August 15, 2009 73 Comments
As of August 15, 2009: You should see the expression Krissy gets on her face every time she comes in here. On the other hand, no, maybe you shouldn’t. We do intend to overhaul it at some point in the reasonably near future, but, man. It’ll be some work this time.
Strange Horizons Fund Drive Results, or, You Guys Rock
Posted on August 15, 2009 35 Comments
So, yesterday, when I challenged all y’all to match donations with me and Krissy to help the online science fiction magazine Strange Horizons meet its fundraising goal for the month, the total amount of money donated to that point was $1,565, out of a goal of $7,000. And where is it today? I’ll let Strange […]
Controversies and etc.
Posted on August 14, 2009 279 Comments
io9 has the latest on a disability and sexuality-related controversy regarding Stargate: Universe that’s blossomed online in the last couple of days, including a response from one of the SG:U producers to the issue. Note that there are spoilers in the link. Since I’m the creative consultant for SG:U I’ve had a couple of people […]
Strange Horizons Friday: I’m Matching Donations
Posted on August 14, 2009 119 Comments
So, Strange Horizons is an online magazine of science fiction and fantasy that pays writers official pro rates (as defined by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America), publishes a wide range of fiction and non-fiction about science fiction and fantasy, and goes out of its way to publish new and emerging writers. They’re […]
Tolerant Wife is Tolerant
Posted on August 13, 2009 51 Comments
Boy, is she ever. Photo from Spring Schoenhuth.
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying