Monthly Archives: July 2014
Subscription Services and My Writing
Posted on July 22, 2014 73 Comments
People have asked me if I have any particular thoughts on Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited subscription plan, and whether my own work will be on it (and one presumes, on other similar subscription services, like Oyster and Scribd). So, some thoughts: While one should never say never, I don’t anticipate any of my novels being on […]
The Neighbors’ Mailboxes Vs. the Scalzi Riding Mower
Posted on July 21, 2014 52 Comments
Spoiler: The neighbors’ mailboxes lost. We have of course informed the neighbors of the event, and have told them that we will gladly pay for the repair/replacement of the boxes. Because, duh. This is our fault. And that’s what you do when something is your fault.
This Thursday (and Elsewhen) in San Diego
Posted on July 21, 2014 3 Comments
Yes, I’ll be in San Diego this week, and all my events are on Thursday, the 24th. Here’s where you will find me: 1:30pm: Reading at the Grand Horton Theater, 444 4th Avenue (between Island and J streets). I’ll read a bit from Lock In, or I might decide to do something else. You never […]
My 80s Dance Set List from Detcon 1
Posted on July 21, 2014 49 Comments
I’ve been getting requests for the set list of songs that went into the 80s dance I DJ’ed at Detcon 1. I had a source list — songs that I selected as the ones ready to queue up — of 346 songs, with everyone from Africa Bamabaata to Cher to Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffy to […]
Detcon, Briefly
Posted on July 20, 2014 31 Comments
I spent the weekend at Detcon 1, the North American Science Fiction Convention, held this year in Detroit, and had a pretty fabulous time. The convention was held at the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, and it was the first time I’ve been downtown Detroit for a couple of decades. Those hoping for a report […]
Still Alive
Posted on July 19, 2014 7 Comments
Having a great time, wish you here. Unless you are here, in which case, hey! Glad you’re here! And if you are here, a reminder that I am DJing an 80s dance tonight at 10pm, in the 42 lounge. Be there!
View From a Hotel Window, 7/18/14: View of Two Countries Edition
Posted on July 18, 2014 27 Comments
In the foreground of this picture is the United States; in the background, and unusually, south, is the great Nation of Canada. From these facts you may ascertain that I am very near the waterfront in Detroit. Also, when Steve Perry sings of someone being “born and raised in South Detroit,” he may be speaking […]
Off to Detcon1
Posted on July 17, 2014 3 Comments
By the time you read this, I will either be at or be very near to Detcon1, this year’s NASFiC (an acronym which, if you already know what it means, suggests you are exactly the sort of geek who will be at the convention already). Once there, I will commence with four days of general […]
The Big Idea: Sarah McCarry
Posted on July 17, 2014 11 Comments
On the road again — or perhaps, on the road for the first time? Sarah McCarry is a writer who perceived a certain lack within a particular narrative trope. Dirty Wings is her attempt to address it; here she is to tell you about it, and the book. SARAH McCARRY: When I was nineteen or twenty I […]
On Book Reviews at Whatever
Posted on July 16, 2014 1 Comment
One of those “post once for future reference” posts. I’m getting a lot of requests for book reviews, many from indie/self-published authors who are, understandably, hoping to see their book talked about, but also from editors/publicists from established presses. So please allow me to note: I do not regularly, nor do I plan to in […]
Your Dose of Pure 80s Music Video WTFery for Wednesday
Posted on July 16, 2014 22 Comments
The video for “Dancing in Heaven” by Q-Feel: I actually really like the song, but I did not know the lead singer (Martin Page) looked like a stretched-out Oompa Loompa with a John Waters mustache. This video makes me question everything I knew about the 80s.
Another Life Milestone for Athena
Posted on July 15, 2014 69 Comments
My daughter now has her learning permit to drive, and I have co-signed to be the parent responsible for her learning how to drive (she will also need to take official driving classes). I am proud, and hope my car survives. (P.S.: Athena wishes you to know that she was squinting into the sun when […]
The Big Idea: Sebastien de Castell
Posted on July 15, 2014 29 Comments
Author Sebastien de Castell dislikes knights — well, dislike may be too mild a word for it — and loves justice. Does that sound mildly contradictory to you? De Castell explains why it is not, and how his novel Traitor’s Blade aims for that justice through a new and unexpected class of hero. SEBASTIEN de […]
An Interesting Quandary
Posted on July 14, 2014 71 Comments
I went over to Scribd and discovered that several titles of mine were on the site without my permission, which gave me an opportunity to try out Scribd’s DMCA reporting form and process. I’m happy to say that Scribd seems to be doing a fine job on that score: The elapsed time from report to […]
My Detcon1 Schedule
Posted on July 14, 2014 18 Comments
I’ll be at the Detcon1 convention this upcoming weekend, Detcon1 being the North American Science Fiction Convention for the year (and the NASFiC being the convention that gets run in the US/Canada when the Worldcon is on a different continent). It’s in Detroit, downtown. It’s not too late to come along — it should be […]
Lock In on the August 2014 LibraryReads List
Posted on July 14, 2014 6 Comments
This is a nice way to start the week: Every month, librarians pick the 10 books they are most looking forward to, out of all the books published that month, in the Library Reads List. And for August, Lock In is one of them. That’s really cool. Note that the Library Reads List is across all genres, […]
The Lowest Difficulty Setting in Action
Posted on July 14, 2014 169 Comments
I noted a couple of years ago that Straight White Male is the lowest difficulty setting in the game called life (in particular the Western civilization variant of it). This annoyed many a straight white male, who didn’t see his life as being particularly “easy.” Noting that “lowest difficulty” is not the same as “easy” […]
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Quick Review
Posted on July 13, 2014 26 Comments
It’s very good. As others have noted, it’s probably the smartest franchise film of the summer, which could be textbook damning with faint praise, but isn’t. It’s also probably more accurately titled Dawn of the Planet Where Paranoid Assholes Really Have Done Their Level Best to Ruin Everything, which means, obviously, one could easily read lots […]
Off to See the Apes
Posted on July 13, 2014 5 Comments
Which is to say Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. So you’ll have to entertain yourselves today. If you want something writing-related to read, Jamie Todd Rubin has written a piece on 3 of the Most Helpful Writers You’ll Ever Meet, and uses me as an an example of one of those types, which is […]
Sunset 7/12/14
Posted on July 12, 2014 11 Comments
My wife said “go outside right now and take a picture.” Well, okay.
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying