Monthly Archives: March 2010
My Ubiquity In Your Online Life: A Poll
Posted on March 6, 2010 101 Comments
Because I am curious, if you would answer the following poll I would appreciate it: Additionally, if you have thoughts on how you read/follow me online, please leave them in the comment thread. There’s no immediate reason I’m doing this other than my own curiosity, incidentally. It was just something I was thinking about recently.
The Future Soon Now
Posted on March 5, 2010 38 Comments
Laptop Magazine asks a bunch of science fiction and fantasy writers: Which Technology Makes You Feel Like You’re Living In The Future? Their answers (including mine) await you here. You may be surprised! Or not, since we’re all geeks who love our gadgets. And now, for reasons that should not need any explanation whatsoever, Jonathan […]
EBooks, Free, The Value Thereof
Posted on March 5, 2010 64 Comments
Boing Boing points to a study done at BYU that shows free eBook versions of book titles correlates to increased short-term sales of the physical version of the title — although not generally in the case of the eBooks released by Tor as part of its Tor.com promotion, in which each title was officially available […]
The Big Idea: Teri Hall
Posted on March 5, 2010 23 Comments
Everyone asks questions — but are they asking the right questions? Author Teri Hall is asking herself (and us) this particular question, especially in the context of her debut YA novel The Line, in which certain questions (and whether they’re asked at all) take on a critical importance. Here’s Hall, to explain the questions, and […]
MilSFery
Posted on March 4, 2010 72 Comments
Frequent Whatever commenter Andrew Liptak writes today over at io9 on why “Your Military Science Fiction Isn’t Really Military Science Fiction,” and uses Old Man’s War as part of his sample set to make his argument. I’m not entirely sure I agree with his thought processes 100%, but it’s an interesting read, and there are […]
Comments and Communities
Posted on March 4, 2010 30 Comments
A couple of months ago Ron Hogan interviewed me and Teresa Nielsen Hayden about managing the comments on our sites and the communities that have grown around them; that interview is now online, and is some pretty interesting reading, if I do say so myself. Yes, I talk about all y’all in it; don’t worry, […]
Final SF Oscar Thoughts
Posted on March 4, 2010
This week at AMC: Final thoughts on the Oscar chances for Avatar, District 9 and Star Trek. See why I think it’s possible Star Trek will have a higher Oscar tally than D9, and whether a very stupid Hurt Locker producer might tip the scales to Avatar in the Best Picture race. Because this is […]
Oscar and Me
Posted on March 3, 2010 61 Comments
Because the Oscars are coming up, I dug out of the archives this story I wrote for the Washington Post about ten years ago, about when I borrowed my friend’s Oscar statuette. Enjoy. Oscar and Me Some time ago, I needed an Oscar — (Why? Does it matter? If you thought you could legally get […]
Just Arrived, 3/3/10
Posted on March 3, 2010 5 Comments
What’s new today: * The Fallen, by Mark Terry (Oceanview): Author and friend of Whatever Mark Terry’s latest, a political action thrilller in which a terrorist group has the G8 summit in its sights, and only one man can stop them from wreaking havoc. Because what fun would it be to have two men stop […]
The Big Idea: Blake Charlton
Posted on March 3, 2010 32 Comments
Words are funny things, and I mean that in a “funny weird” sort of way, not the “funny ha ha” sort of way (although words can be that way, too. I mean, obviously. Hmm. I’m drifting). But what if words were more than words. What if words were more than their metaphorical content? What if […]
Casting My (SFWA) Vote
Posted on March 2, 2010 13 Comments
Above you’ll see the official election ballot for the SFWA board elections (well, you mostly see the cover letter, the ballot is underneath that), which I have duly filled out and will send back tomorrow. I am not ashamed to say I voted for myself for president. As it happens I am running unopposed this […]
Micro(ish) Update
Posted on March 2, 2010 25 Comments
w00t, five minutes before I have to do something else. So, quickly: 1. If you ordered The God Engines from Jay & Mary’s bookstore a couple of weeks ago, you’ll be glad to know they just got their copies from Subterranean, and I just signed them, so they’ll be on their way presently. In one […]
Talk Amongst Yourselves
Posted on March 2, 2010 106 Comments
I’m returning from a previously unscheduled trip and then catching up on work and then running errands, so the chances of me updating today until much later are pretty slim. So until I get back, please feel free to chat amongst yourselves. As a conversational starter, here’s a question: What’s the longest distance you’ve traveled […]
Just Arrived, 3/1/10
Posted on March 1, 2010 9 Comments
Another month, and more books. Some of what arrived today: * Scenting the Dark, by Mary Robinette Kowal (Subterranean Press): Mary’s short-but-awesome story collection, gorgeously put together by SubPress. I’m not going to pretend to be objective about this particular book since a) Mary and I are friends, b) and currently running to be president […]
Your March Science Fictional Reminderations
Posted on March 1, 2010 11 Comments
What? March already? Seriously, man, that’s just wacky. Here are some things I wish to remind you of heading forward for the next 31 (or so) days. 1. If you’re a Hugo nominator, congratulations! You now have two weeks to get your nominations in. So, you know, do so. Here’s a bunch of suggestions from […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying