Monthly Archives: March 2011
Away For the Day; Suggest a Writer’s Blog
Posted on March 23, 2011 141 Comments
I’m traveling later in the day to see a friend, which means I have some non-blog related tasks to attend to first, which means I AM LEAVING YOU. For the rest of the day, not forever. UNLESS I DIE. Which I’m not planning to. JUST SAYING. But as they say, when a door closes a […]
Tales for Canterbury
Posted on March 23, 2011 4 Comments
My excellent friend Karen Healey wrote me today with this: I think that your Whatever readers might be interested in Tales for Canterbury. It’s an anthology of original and reprinted short stories in electronic and print form, the proceeds of which are all going to the NZ Red Cross (Christchurch) Earthquake Appeal. The writers and […]
Women Directors and Writers (Or the Lack Thereof) in SF Film
Posted on March 23, 2011
This week at FilmCritic.com, I ask: Where are the women writers and directors in science fiction film? Because, hey, there aren’t very many. At all. Is this a general problem of women writers/directors being thin on the ground in film? Or is it something else? My thoughts await you, and as always feel free to […]
ZOMG The Streams Are Crossing!
Posted on March 22, 2011 48 Comments
Holy crap, a long-time print author is going to try self-publishing electronically! This changes everything!!! Holy crap, a hot young self-published author is going to try being published conventionally! This changes everything!!! (sprays everybody down with a garden hose) Let’s entertain the notion that we live in a time in which there are a number […]
You All Wish You Could Have Such a Blurb From Me
Posted on March 22, 2011 27 Comments
Gaze, if you will, upon the blurb I provided Sam Sykes, featured on his latest book Black Halo, which is out today: And yes, in fact, it is quite an endorsement when in fact I do not wish for the ravens to strip the flesh from your very bones. In case you were wondering. I […]
The Big Idea: Lyda Morehouse
Posted on March 22, 2011 22 Comments
Nature is a strange and fascinating thing, and for the theologically and/or teleologically minded, it raises some interesting questions. It certainly did for Lyda Morehouse, who in writing up her latest novel Resurrection Code looked at some curious aspects of the animal world and wondered what God was thinking. Did she comes up with answers? […]
Reminder Re: Hugos and Nebulas Voting
Posted on March 21, 2011 2 Comments
Two quick reminders for all y’all: 1. Regarding the Hugos, this is the last week you can nominate for this year’s awards, which will be presented at Renovation, this year’s Worldcon, in Reno. You can nominate for the Hugos if you were a member of last year’s Worldcon (AussieCon 4) or became a member of […]
Spanish Android’s Dream Cover Art
Posted on March 21, 2011 18 Comments
Dig it, because I do: Here’s my publisher’s page for the book. If you’re in Spain or thereabouts, it will be out and about on May 4.
Fuzzy Nation Starred Review in Publishers Weekly
Posted on March 21, 2011 39 Comments
The first media review of Fuzzy Nation is in from Publishers Weekly, and it’s got a star and everything. Click through that link for the whole review (PW deserves your eyeballs), but here’s what I’m pretty sure will be the eventual pull-quote (whole or in parts) for the later editions: A perfectly executed plot clicks […]
Who Ordered the Sunset With Extra Photoshopping?
Posted on March 20, 2011 18 Comments
Because I have it here: No, I can’t take it back. It’s a special order. Here, it’s yours. (walks off)
The Electronic Publishing Bingo Card
Posted on March 20, 2011 242 Comments
Because someone had to do it, and why not me. For those of you unfamiliar with the “Bingo Card” concept, basically, if you see one or more of your favorite arguments for how ZOMG EPUBBING WILL CHANGE THE WORLD FOR EVAR on the bingo card, you can be assured that your argument is not, in […]
2011 Reader Request Week Recap
Posted on March 20, 2011 2 Comments
Just in case you missed any of these when they first showed up: Reader Request Week 2011 #1: Children and Faith Reader Request Week 2011 #2: The End of Whatever Reader Request Week 2011 #3: Middle Ages Me Reader Request Week 2011 #4: Old Man’s War and the Best SF/F Novel of the Decade Reader Request Week 2011 #5: […]
And Now I Must Leave You
Posted on March 18, 2011 18 Comments
I got handed a fairly awesome yet last minute commission, so that’s what I’ll be doing with my weekend, not hanging around here. But look! I’m leaving you music. From this band, and this album. Have a good weekend. See you Monday.
My Musings on Corporations Will Be Graded
Posted on March 18, 2011 136 Comments
Stephen Bainbridge, a Whatever reader and also the William D. Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at UCLA, where he teaches business associations, advanced corporation law and a seminar on corporate governance, takes a look at my recent discussion of corporations, and adds his own commentary. How does he think I did? You’ll need to click […]
Reader Request Week 2011 #9: Writery Bits ’11
Posted on March 18, 2011 25 Comments
In which I write up some stuff about writing, based on your requests: Mike Young: If something horrible were to happen to you, is there any writer you would feel comfortable having them finish you work? Or would you want all notes/manuscripts burned, their ashes scattered across the hills of Ohio? I don’t have any […]
Reader Request Week 2011 #8: Short Bits ’11
Posted on March 18, 2011 33 Comments
And now, some shorter answers to questions asked this week. These are ones not related to writing. The writing ones are coming later. So: AmyLikesToDraw: I’m really interested in hearing how other freelancers – writers, fellow illustrators/designers, musicians – survive the whole Taxes thing. It might seen like a boring topic, but you’re obviously doing […]
One For the Dog Lovers
Posted on March 17, 2011 10 Comments
Don’t say I never do anything for you guys. And there’s even green for St. Pat’s.
Reader Request Week #7: Unruly Fans
Posted on March 17, 2011 46 Comments
Kenneth B asks: Have your experiences with SF Fandom been mostly positive? Negative? Some mix of the two? The question was prompted by my recent re-reading of Harlan Ellison’s essay “Xenogenesis,” wherein he describes some of the indignities he and other SF writers have suffered at the hands of fans. (The worst anecdote: a fan […]
Reader Request Week 2011 #6: Sociopathic Corporations
Posted on March 17, 2011 138 Comments
Arrow Quivershaft asks: How can we justify treating multinational corporations as people, despite the fact that most of them act like clinical sociopaths in general action? Well, the FCC v. AT&T ruling suggests that in fact there’s a very long way to go before we do in fact treat them as people, so I’m not […]
The Big Idea: M.J. Locke
Posted on March 17, 2011 11 Comments
M.J. Locke is riding a wave with Up Against It, including a starred review in Publishers Weekly (“Compulsively readable and packed with challenging ideas… this smart, satisfying hard SF adventure celebrates human resilience”) and the sort of fellow author praise most authors would kill for (see the George RR Martin blurb right there on the […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying