And Now, An Excellent, Excellent Choice on the Part of SFWA
Posted on December 15, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 32 Comments
Joe Haldeman named a Grand Master of Science Fiction
As the kids today say: This.
You can see what Joe has to say about it over on his LiveJournal.
This is going to make me happy for the whole rest of the day, it is.
Very nice. Always good to see the greats get their dues.
Wait, why did I not know that Joe Haldeman had a livejournal?! And now I squeal in fanboyish glee!
Ah, I was just thinking of picking up (d/l to Kindle) a copy of Old Twentieth.
Anyone like or dislike that one?
That is truly well-deserved. I’m glad to hear it!
Just recently read through forever war. I didn’t think old sci-fi could be so relevant or edgy. This is well deserved.
Also, do the kids really say: ‘This.’?
What does it mean?
Met Joe and Gay at the 30th Armadillocon. Actually I went there to see Scalzi, they were icing on the cake. A fine man, with a wonderful entertaining better half! Congratulations!
That is wonderful!
Ben@5: I see it (and have been known to use it) on certain on-line fora. It’s usually used after a pullquote to indicate agreement.
Ye gods, yes! Mr. Haldeman richly deserves the Grand Master title.
As for “This”, I’m old enough that I remember when it used to be “That.”
Oh, no. The kids today have something they say that I’ve never before heard the kids today say.
I am officially one step further along the road to ‘old’.
And even the kids are tired of it:
http://qcjeph.livejournal.com/110229.html
(And if you prefer a warning: contains objectionable language.)
I loved The Forever War when I read it in high school.
The Forever War is an undeniable classic.
His more recent stuff is a little phoning-it-in. I still can’t believe the drek that was Cameoflague won a Nebula.
The Forever War is, IMHO, one of the top 20 SF novels ever written. It’s probably the one I’d recommend to anyone who tried to claim that SF settings add nothing to a story, or that SF can’t be relevant or express big themes.
Some of his other books are pretty damn good as well.
This is a well deserved honor for Mr. Halderman. I’m very happy for him.
I saw Robert Silverberg, Harry Turtledove, Harry Harrison, and Joe Haldeman on a panel this spring. They were all saying Haldeman was going to be named a SF Grandmaster eventually…but Silverberg said he was still a youngster so he would have to wait a few years :-D Great news!
Rest of the day? Hell, that made my week. And, I have you to thank for introducing me to the work of Haldeman. Forever War might just be the best book I’ve read thus far in my life, it just grabs me somehow.
Great choice, well deserved!
Just another example of SFWA being behind the curve.
I mean, come on — how many really serious, long-time SF readers wouldn’t have gratefully pinned that label to Haldeman’s lapel ten years ago?
I’d go twenty, if I could.
Time or past time, it’s excellent news. I also think you need a certain number of books in print and to be un age certain to quality – if you’re a Grand Master at 40, what have you got to look forward to?
Hard Rock indeed. And also – Joe’s Blog! Frelling marvellous. Cheers, John! *thumbup*
This!!!
For those confused:
“This.” means “I agree with the above, and would have said the same thing had it not already have been said.”
The reason why people tire of it is relatively obvious: it’s pretty lazy!
This might be a fun place to link Halderman’s “writing space” from the “Where I Write” project:
http://www.whereiwrite.org/haldeman.php
Grand master. Who writes with a quill stylus onto etched papyrus by freaking lantern light. (OK. Some of that is exaggeration.)
And… lovely typo. Halde(r)man. Indeed.
I like that picture of Joe. It would drive me nuts to write in that manner.
Delta-slider @ 3 –
I found Old Twentieth to be a fun a read.
The first Haldeman book I read was The Accidental Time Machine. After, I went and read the forever war. And that book deserves all the recognition it gets.
Haldeman writes solid fun reads on a regular basis with even a few genre defining titles thrown into the mix. …fanboy squee fit…
Nice to see an author get deserved recognition. I hope it comes as spirit lifting news.
Other Bill
Thanks! I’ll have to put it on the list.
Yeah I only recently read Forever War after hearing about it…forever. I thought it was great.
Accidental Time Machine was also excellent and I found it to be a good book to recomend to people that are luke-warm to scifi.
Joe Haldeman is a great writer, a great teacher, and a great guy to share a drink with. Gay and he make a great couple.
I love his non-SF as well, I recommend his War Stories compilation.
Over on Aint It Cool News I saw the rumor (confirmed on IMDb) that Ridley Scott, the director who gave us BLADE RUNNER and the first ALIEN movie, is looking at adapting THE FOREVER WAR for a movie. Interesting, nicht wahr?
Joe Haldeman named a Grand Master of Science Fiction
I’ll see your “This” and raise you a QFT.
Joe is well deserving. Some of his newer stuff may not be up to Worlds or The Forever War, but that’s always an issue when your early stuff is simply That Good .
I also really enjoyed 1968 . It’s hard to find but worth it. Not an SF novel, but just in case you somehow missed the whole “Vietnam really, really, sucked” message in TFW, 1968 will drive the point home.
“This”??
I think my generation says it better :-)
This is just bitchin’!!
He wasn’t already? Wow, those guys are slow.
Oh Wow. Happyhappyhappy! I go way back with Joe, I was one of the denizens of his GEnie forum, lo these many years ago.
Oh god. Does anyone even remember GEnie? OK, I’m old.