Monthly Archives: October 2011
And Here Comes the Standard Post-Trip Disclaimer
Posted on October 24, 2011 9 Comments
Which is: As I’ve been traveling for more than a week and didn’t pay attention to anything while I was away, including e-mail, Facebook, Google+, news or, well, anything, it will probably take me a couple of days to get fully up to speed. Patience. In particular regarding e-mail, if you sent me an e-mail […]
Final Thoughts on the Germany Trip
Posted on October 24, 2011 55 Comments
First: Dude, this town hall in Tübingen is both awesome and about 250 years older than my country. I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around that. Second: Now that I am back home, a few more notes to wrap up my whole German tour experience. 1. Before anything else of note, I […]
Checking In
Posted on October 23, 2011 25 Comments
Hello, world. I am in America now. And hanging about in Philadelphia’s terminal F for the next few hours. I have a wall socket and a wifi hotspot. I am reasonably content. I had given some thought to calling up friends and leaving the airport for a bit, but having had to run the TSA […]
Going Home
Posted on October 23, 2011 14 Comments
I sure hope they’ve glued the wings onto the plane by the time I get to the airport! Note to Germany: Thanks. You were wonderful. Note to United States: I am coming. Pick the place up before I get there. I’ll notice if you made a mess while I’m away. And here we go.
Pictures of München
Posted on October 22, 2011 7 Comments
I walked around town today with my cell phone camera and went a little nuts with the Vignette filters. Wanna see? Go here.
Tribble’s Tribbles
Posted on October 22, 2011 14 Comments
This is Conrad Tribble, the US Consul General in Munich, and yes, those are tribbles that he is holding and/or wearing, proving that he has a good sense of humor about his name. Consul General Tribble and his wife Christina were gracious enough to hold a brunch today in my honor, which was attended by […]
München Says Hello
Posted on October 21, 2011 20 Comments
And they look happy to see you! Folks, the München event was fantastic. Another great reading in German from another great actor (whose name, I believe, is Alexander Meiler, although I may have messed up the last name, so if anyone who was there can correct me, please let me know), a fine crowd, more […]
In München
Posted on October 21, 2011 36 Comments
München, of course, being what the Germans call Munich, and when in Germany, etc. It occurs to me that during my entire trip here in Germany I have not done one of my customary “view from the hotel window” pictures, so let me rectify that right now, lest I incurr the Wrath of the Internets […]
Freiburg Recap
Posted on October 21, 2011 7 Comments
I mentioned last night, just before I collapsed into sleep, that if writers can do an event at a planetarium that they should really try it. The reason I suggest it, and particularly for science fiction writers, is that there’s something primal about telling stories while the stars turn overhead — it’s very much a […]
A Quick Note to Writers
Posted on October 20, 2011 6 Comments
Dudes. If you ever have a chance to do a reading event at a planetarium, do it. That is all. (Which is to say I’ll have more to say but my brain is collapsing, so tomorrow.)
Now in Freiburg
Posted on October 20, 2011 18 Comments
Where they have quite the cathedral, as it happens. Begun in 1200! And they’re still doing construction (which you cannot see but which is top of frame). Perhaps it’s no so much that they’re still doing construction as it is they’re doing a little reconstruction. But still. Nothing is perfect in God’s eye, apparently. This […]
Meet Boris
Posted on October 20, 2011 17 Comments
One of the cool things about being an American author touring Germany is that at every stop, they have a German actor perform a bit from the German translation of your work. For example, this fellow, Boris Rosenberger, who read for me in Stuttgart and in Tübingen. He did a fantastic job (as did the […]
E-Mail Down Briefly
Posted on October 20, 2011 2 Comments
Note to folks: my primary e-mail, john@scalzi.com, will be down briefly (less than an hour), while I fix the problem that’s been bouncing mails. Also, please note that while my account has been bouncing mail, I have been also receiving your mail; this is because I have the mails forwarded to a secondary address. It’s […]
Me in a Suit and Tie
Posted on October 19, 2011 26 Comments
The Facebook page of the US Consulate General in Frankfurt is currently featuring pictures of me at my Frankfurt event. The page is here, and the direct link to the photo set is here. (The photo of me and the American ambassador to Germany? Here you go.) And yes, as advertised, there are pictures of […]
Another View of Tübingen
Posted on October 19, 2011 48 Comments
This is the old part of town, which has parts the date back to, like, 1400 or something. If you’re an American, your experience with buildings that look like this comes out of animated Disney films, which means that when you see them in real life you have a hard time grasping that they are […]
In Tubingen
Posted on October 19, 2011 14 Comments
Which is in fact rather prettier than this gray picture would lead you to believe — it’s a bit rainy here at the moment. My hotel is quite pleasant, although my streak of hotels with lousy Internet continues; this one promises wireless access in every room, for values of “every room” that mean “the lobby.” […]
Science Fiction Film Writing Prompts
Posted on October 19, 2011
This week over at my FilmCritic.com column, I thought I’d switch things up and have you try some writing — so I have thought up of twelve writing prompts, based on science fiction films, for you to consider and maybe write up on your own blogs, Facebook/Google+ profiles, Twitter feeds, or the comments on the […]
Stuttgart, Tuesday
Posted on October 18, 2011 25 Comments
Guten tag, alles. I am now in Stuttgart, which for those of you with an automotive bent, is the home town of Mercedes Benz. It’s a very industrious city from what I can see. Yesterday, I was in Saarbrücken and had my second event of the trip. It was the first one at which I […]
My First Tour Appearance and Already I’m Clearly Punchy
Posted on October 16, 2011 12 Comments
“I can’t read this book! It’s like it’s written in another language or something!” The book, incidentally, is upside down for a reason, which is that I had commented that I read German so poorly that it would probably sound better if I turned the book upside down. And it did. I’m sorry, Germany, for […]
Day Off
Posted on October 16, 2011 2 Comments
I have a day off today and I’m wandering around Frankfurt being a tourist. Check the Twitter feed for pictures. Otherwise I’ll catch up with all of you later.
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