Monthly Archives: September 2013
Lauren Beukes Presents The Spark
Posted on September 23, 2013 7 Comments
A couple of months ago, Lauren Beukes, author of several fantastic books and recent winner of the Clarke Award, contacted me about wanting to do something similar to The Big Idea for her home country of South Africa. I told her I thought this was a great idea and encouraged her to do it, albeit […]
Strange Horizons: Why You Should Support It
Posted on September 23, 2013 15 Comments
Back in 2001 a small online science fiction magazine became my very first publisher of my science fiction: Strange Horizons. Then, as now, the magazine was funded by contributions — and right now the magazine is having its annual fund raising drive to generate the budget for the next year. I’m giving SH editor-in-chief some […]
An Awesome Picture of Our Pet Spider
Posted on September 22, 2013 69 Comments
And because I know some of you are creeped out by spiders, I’m putting it behind the cut (for those of you on the RSS feed, uh, sorry):
On Charging for Kaffeeklatches
Posted on September 22, 2013 168 Comments
It seems that this year’s World Fantasy Convention has come upon the idea of charging for Kaffeeklatches, the small “round table” discussions between authors and fans. They are charging five pounds a head (about $8 US). This is new. Kaffeeklatches, in my experience as an author, have been run as conventions as part of regular programming […]
First Day of Fall, 2013
Posted on September 22, 2013 34 Comments
So far, so good. Crisp, cloudless, gorgeous. If we could have it just like this for the next three months, I would not mind. And to celebrate, we’re off to a Renaissance fair. Or something. Hey, I don’t know, I just go where I am told. See you later. In the meantime, contemplate and discuss: Why […]
Last Sunset of Summer, 2013
Posted on September 21, 2013 28 Comments
Because tomorrow is the autumnal equinox. One of the interesting things about where I live is that on (or in this case near) exquinoxes, the sun sets directly over the street on which I live. It makes for nice photos. A couple more from this evening: So long, summer 2013. You were pretty good to […]
My Local Bookstore is the Coolest
Posted on September 21, 2013 28 Comments
Note the nifty display. That’s hometown pride for you. And look! Stephen King is my understudy!
Off to Buy Shoes
Posted on September 21, 2013 15 Comments
Because that’s the sort of exciting life I lead. See you all tomorrow.
My Brain is Mashed Potatoes Today, So Here is a Picture of a Spiderweb in the Wheel Well of a ’29 Ford
Posted on September 20, 2013 45 Comments
This Ford, in point of fact. And how are you today?
The Big Idea: Alexandra Coutts
Posted on September 19, 2013 8 Comments
It’s the end of the world as we know it. How do you feel? This is the question Alexandra Coutts has to confront in her novel Tumble & Fall. Getting to the right answer for her book was more difficult than you might expect. ALEXANDRA COUTTS: Finding the Big Idea behind Tumble & Fall was, […]
My Friend Deven the Talking Head
Posted on September 19, 2013 8 Comments
Hey, look! It’s my very good friend Deven Desai appearing on Pivot’s TakePart Live program yesterday. Deven was using his knowledge as a professor of law (and former Google person) to discuss issues of privacy and the Internet, and he did a very fine job, if I do say so myself. Here’s a clip, with […]
Electronic Version of The Mallet of Loving Correction Now Available
Posted on September 18, 2013 27 Comments
I noted it on Twitter the other day but not here, which is, frankly, inexplicable, so: Hey! The electronic edition of The Mallet of Loving Correction is now available! Here it is on Amazon, B&N and Kobo. It’s also available on Amazon in Canada and UK and Germany, and probably other places as well but […]
The Big Idea: Jaime Lee Moyer
Posted on September 17, 2013 20 Comments
In Delia’s Shadow, the main character is haunted by a ghost. In writing the book, author Jaime Lee Moyer was haunted by an idea. How do the two hauntings relate? Moyer is here to tell you. JAIME LEE MOYER: Most writers are magpies. We collect shiny ideas, obsessions, and images that we can’t let go […]
Speech, Conversation, Debate, Engagement, Communication
Posted on September 16, 2013 211 Comments
Some thoughts on each. 1. As a general concept, freedom of speech includes the right to decide how and when to speak, and to whom. 2. This freedom of speech also includes the right to choose not to speak, and not to speak to whomever, including to you. 3. No one is obliged to have a conversation […]
New Books and ARCs, 9/16/13
Posted on September 16, 2013 40 Comments
A nice set of books here. I am particularly excited about the Rachel Swirsky book. I don’t think it’s any secret that I think she’s one of the best speculative fiction writers of the last decade, so a collection of her short stories is basically concentrated awesome. It’ll be out 9/30. What else looks good […]
How To Make Pictures Like Me
Posted on September 16, 2013 44 Comments
I get a lot of compliments on the pictures I put up here, which makes me happy and which I appreciate. I also get questions about how I make pictures like I do. Since I like sharing information, here’s a brief run down of what to do if you’re interested in making pictures like I […]
Some Pictures From the Weekend
Posted on September 15, 2013 15 Comments
Don’t want you thinking I didn’t get you anything, even though I was away this weekend. Click on the pictures to expand them. Enjoy. If you want to see the pictures in more detail, go here; they’re the most recently added pictures in the set. Feel free to use any of them for computer wallpapers, […]
We Have Houseguests
Posted on September 14, 2013 64 Comments
So no (other) updating today. Maybe not tomorrow, either. Be strong!
Sunset, 9/13/13
Posted on September 13, 2013 7 Comments
There’s a reason this is called “the golden hour.” Hey, you know what? This has been a really good day. Thanks, folks.
30 Million Views
Posted on September 13, 2013 104 Comments
At some point yesterday the site passed the 30 million all time views, “all time” in this case defined as “visits recorded by the WordPress stats program since early October 2008,” which is when the site switched over to the WordPress VIP hosting service. Note that I would take all stat information with a grain […]
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