Monthly Archives: August 2010
The Big Idea: Zoe Ferraris
Posted on August 12, 2010 9 Comments
It’s well known that one of the best ways to get someone to do something is to tell them that they shouldn’t do it. In the case of author Zoe Ferraris, the thing she was told she shouldn’t do is write about a particular character — one whose origins are outside the usual experience of […]
The Rumpus (“Busting at Its Seams” edition)
Posted on August 11, 2010 17 Comments
Since Scalzi kind of teed it up for me in his “Meet the Guest Bloggers” post by mentioning (and saying kind words about) the monthly-ish email he gets from me that’s filled with music recommendations, I have chosen to interpret that as encouragement to share one such missive with all of you. And since I […]
Subterranean Press Movin’ Out Ebay Auctions
Posted on August 11, 2010 10 Comments
Bill Schafer over at Subterranean Press is moving into a larger warehouse and office space. He would love it if you would help lighten the moving truck. So in what you could call a win-win scenario, he’s put up a bunch of stock over at Ebay. Books are discounted from 50% to more than 70% off the regular retail price. Bill also mentions that quanties are […]
A Celebration of Heinlein: A Tor.com Blog Symposium
Posted on August 11, 2010 3 Comments
In anticipation of the new Tor Books release, Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century: Volume 1, 1907-1948: Learning Curve, the good people over at Tor.com have put together a fantastic, online blog symposium. Longtime fans, readers and writers, these esteemed contributors celebrate one of the most-loved masters of the genre. Along with John, the panelists consist of: Mitch Wagner Jo Walton Pam […]
Ten Great Directors Who Flopped in Sci-Fi
Posted on August 11, 2010
It’s Wednesday again! Time to drop whatever you are doing and head to filmcritic.com for John’s latest column. John explores the topic of celebrated and renowned directors who couldn’t quite transition into SF despite success with films outside of the genre. As usual, please leave your comments on the filmcritic.com site.
The Big Idea: Ted Chiang
Posted on August 10, 2010 33 Comments
We all love our tech — heck, I’m still swooning over that Droid X phone I bought a couple of weeks ago — but do we love our tech the way we love a partner, or a parent, or a child, or even a pet? The answer to this is, probably not, and if we […]
Kagan, the SCOTUS, and You!
Posted on August 10, 2010 82 Comments
Apologies for being a bit slow to react on some political stuff that’s happened lately. Moving is hard, moving is hard. There are many boxes; where the hell is my hammer? (With additional apologies to Li Po for butchering his lovely “The Hard Road” for my own sordid purposes.) So Elena Kagan has been sworn […]
Herding Cats
Posted on August 9, 2010 21 Comments
I’m back from an excellent long weekend on the Jersey shore (the Gaslight Anthem show was fantastic, by the way, even though they didn’t play my favorite song, “I’da Called You Woody, Joe,” a.k.a. the finest tribute-in-song to Saint Joe Strummer ever written), and am reporting for guest blogging duty once again. I mentioned in […]
Well, you see, when two fantasy writers love each other very much…
Posted on August 9, 2010 13 Comments
…they get drunk enough to say “yes” when I ask them if I can put this up on Whatever: This is one big reason why I love New York: there are so many writers here that every day is like a science fiction/fantasy convention. Today’s photo comes from the aftermath of Saturday’s “guerilla reading” by […]
The Last Colony Wins A Seiun Award
Posted on August 8, 2010 12 Comments
The Last Colony recently took home the Japanese Seiun Award for Best Foreign Language Novel of the year. These awards celebrate the best work published in Japan for the previous year and are compared to the Hugos. You can find a list of all the winners here.
A Word From The Jury Of Awesomeness
Posted on August 8, 2010 16 Comments
I have it from a rather reliable source, that the finalists have been chosen for the Wheaton/Scalzi fanfic contest! According to this anonymous source (who most assuredly doesn’t have three camera stalking cats and likes sunsets, nor writes award winning fiction and who doesn’t happen to be on hiatus at this very moment), there will […]
The Thing About Monkeys
Posted on August 7, 2010 52 Comments
The thing about monkeys is, they’re everywhere. When this is over, you may not want to hear about the monkey theory, but I just have to put it out there. Everyday –every day- you will have a monkey sighting. You’ll see a picture of a monkey, someone will say “monkey,” you’ll hear a monkey noise, […]
Video Game Neuroses
Posted on August 7, 2010 77 Comments
Allow me to take you on a journey of my little quirks which only present themselves while behind a computer screen. During my World of Warcraft days, it took effort not to refer to myself in the third person. “Kate waves hello.” “Kate would like a slice of pizza.” When you emoted in game as […]
Inception Obsession
Posted on August 6, 2010 41 Comments
Spoilers herein for the movie Inception. You have been warned! I’ve seen the movie Inception four times, including on IMAX. Thinking about buying it when it comes out in DVD, etc. I even bought the Hans Zimmer soundtrack; it’s excellent music for writing about gods and epic stuff. Now, let me put this in context: […]
This is my life right now.
Posted on August 5, 2010 35 Comments
Just moved into a new apartment yesterday, so am a little discombobulated at the moment. Shall wax eloquent about Inception tomorrow, when I’ve recombobulated a little. In the meantime, it’s a great apartment — significantly larger than my last one and cheaper, and with a lovely night-view of lower Manhattan and my favorite bridge in […]
The Big Idea: Kat Richardson
Posted on August 5, 2010 12 Comments
Hey, you know what’s really scary? Kat Richardson does — and what she thinks is scary forms the basis of her popular “Greywalker” series of paranormal novels, of which Labyrinth is the latest installment. While Richardson’s heroine Harper Blaine explores the thin grey line between fantasy and reality, Richardson herself is here to explore what […]
The God Engines Now Available In Apple’s iBook Store
Posted on August 4, 2010 17 Comments
John also wanted me to let everyone know that The God Engines is available in the Apple iBook Store! Broadening his horizons a bit, John wrote a truly engaging dark fantasy novella. I highly suggest you read this 2010 Hugo nominated work if you are looking for something to both challenge and terrify you. So […]
At NASFIC
Posted on August 4, 2010 26 Comments
I was heading out for NASFIC last night — and by last night I mean 12:50 am today — and discovered Harriet plotting her escape. Her camouflage does not work as well in this context as she apparently thinks it does. Meanwhile, allow me to supply you with the other Whatever tradition, which I’m sure you have […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying