Monthly Archives: September 2010
The Big Idea: Michele Lang
Posted on September 8, 2010 13 Comments
It’s one thing in fiction to change a little bit of history to fit your story plausibly inside it. But what happens when you change whole, vast chunks of it? On one hand, you’ve got the “alternate history” genre. But on the other hand, you may have a voice whispering in your ear, asking you […]
In Honor of AussieCon4, Here’s Looking at the Finest Sci-fi Films to Be Filmed Down Under
Posted on September 8, 2010
John spent the last week in Australia attending AussieCon4 and has finally returned home. Through the haze of jet lag, he mumbled something about poisonous spiders, rocket statues and a filmcritic.com column. This week, he examines some of the finest sci-fi films to come from where the women glow and men plunder. As usual comments […]
They Blew Up My Little Pony, Mommy!
Posted on September 7, 2010 52 Comments
You know you are losing the imaginary war when a toy pony brings law enforcement to their knees. The bomb squad sent a robot to investigate the toy pony. Robot: Dude, are you a bomb? Pony: No, my forgetful human left me here when the bell rang. She even left the brush she uses to […]
Ode to Oregon, Including a Trio of Sunsets
Posted on September 6, 2010 17 Comments
I should begin by confessing that I’ll be stretching the definition of “sunset” pretty close to the breaking point with the pictures herein, but if you’ll forgive me that, let’s continue, shall we? I’m home after a glorious week spent in the Pacific Northwest with my wife and, though it’s good to be home, I’d […]
The Awesome Side of SF Fandom
Posted on September 6, 2010 14 Comments
My time at Dragon*Con really opened my eyes to how dedicated and loyal some fans can be. Here we have Amy Pond and the 11th incarnation of the Doctor. I saw fans who loved Star Wars, Star Trek, Final Fantasy, Borderlands, Halo and many others. Some were simple costumes and some went all out on […]
Congrats to the Hugo Winners!
Posted on September 5, 2010 56 Comments
Alas, I am not one of them this year — but that’s OK, because I never expected to be nominated in the first place; being nominated truly is its own honor. And alas, John is not one of them either (he was up for best novella for The God Engines). But believe me, the folks […]
Is It or Isn’t It?
Posted on September 4, 2010 31 Comments
There is some debate as to whether it was actually him. What do you think? George Lucas or a really good doppleganger? Here’s another.
Dragon*Con!
Posted on September 4, 2010 9 Comments
Okay, DragonCon is a blast. Internet connectivity sucks as usual with a convention this size, so updates will be brief.Yesterday, I am pretty sure that George Lucas was roaming the halls of the Marriott. He was standing next to Chad Vader, while wearing a Jar Jar tee shirt. I do have a picture and will […]
Free Fiction & An Open Pimp Thread
Posted on September 3, 2010 49 Comments
Because free is awesome, I wanted to share some free fiction links with you as I fly over the mid-Atlantic on my way down to DragonCon. Clarkesworld Magazine just came out with a new issue on September 1st. Along with the beautiful cover, there are stories by Robert Reed and Stephen Gaskell. Non-fictions brought to […]
The Movie-Adaptation Chances for This Year’s Hugo Class
Posted on September 2, 2010
While John prepares for the Hugo Awards ceremony this coming weekend in Australia, his filmcritic.com column discusses a very familiar question. Fans will eventually ask when their favorite book will be swept-up by Hollywood and made into a movie. Who doesn’t have a list in the back of their heads as to who will play John Perry or perhaps, Harry […]
The Big Idea: Jennifer Ouellette
Posted on September 2, 2010 39 Comments
I’ll make a confession here: I was the only person in my class at my very-competitive college prep high school who did not take calculus. Which is a fact which bothered the calculus teachers immensely – the would come up to me and warn me I was throwing my life away, or at least my […]
The Big Idea: Laura Resnick
Posted on September 1, 2010 28 Comments
Saving the world. Paying the rent. Are these mutually incompatible activities? Laura Resnick ponders this very subject as she discusses Unsympathetic Magic, the latest installment of her fantasy series featuring the quirky character Esther Diamond. And while it might seem at first blush that one have to prioritize these desires (after all, if one does […]
How to — possibly — torpedo one’s own career in epic fantasy.
Posted on September 1, 2010 35 Comments
OK, I told myself I wasn’t going to use the AWESOMA POWAH of being a guestblogger at Whatever to promote myself. And I’m not! Really! But the mandate I got from John was to write about whatever I felt like writing about, and, well, if there’s one thing pro writers like to write about, it’s […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying