Monthly Archives: August 2015
New Books and ARCs, 8/31/15 + Reminder: Dayton Tour Stop 9/1/15!
Posted on August 31, 2015 23 Comments
First: Look, the last stack of new books/ARCs of August, and there’s some very fine work in here. Tell me which things trip your trigger in the comments. Second: A reminder that tomorrow, September 1st, I will be at Books & Co in Dayton (the The Greene Shopping Center) for a tour stop. 7pm! Come […]
In Which Marian Call is Remarkably Clear-Eyed and Sensible About Kickstarter Projects
Posted on August 31, 2015 12 Comments
Musician Marian Call, who is currently Kickstarting her upcoming album, has written a long piece on her blog about what it takes to Kickstart a project, and — critically — throws in numbers and figures to back up her thoughts and comments. The result is a genuinely super-useful piece that should be required reading for […]
Reminder: The Audio For “John Scalzi is Not a Popular Author” is Up!
Posted on August 31, 2015 24 Comments
I said I would post the audiobook version today, but we got to our stretch goal of $10,000 so fast I posted it over the weekend to thank people. So for those of you who don’t loiter on the Internet during the weekends, the complete audio, including the downloadable version, is here. Go get it! […]
A Thing Not to Do When You’re Smart
Posted on August 31, 2015 131 Comments
Pro tip: Bragging about your Mensa card as an actual adult signals that while you may be "smart," you almost certainly are not wise. — John Scalzi (@scalzi) August 31, 2015 In the various recent kerfuffles surrounding science fiction and its awards, there have been a couple of people (and their spouses, declaiming about their […]
Post Tour Thoughts, etc
Posted on August 30, 2015 30 Comments
Quick thoughts on touring and etc. * First, here’s a video of me and Tad Williams doing our thing at the stop at Kepler’s, in Menlo Park. This was two days after the Hugos, and if you’re curious to hear my thoughts on that event, they start at at 28:42. But most of it is […]
“John Scalzi Is Not A Very Popular Author And I Myself Am Quite Popular,” the Audiobook, Read by Me, John Scalzi
Posted on August 29, 2015 103 Comments
Quick recap: John Scalzi Is Not A Very Popular Author And I Myself Am Quite Popular is a parody of an ebook by an obnoxious bigot who is obsessed with me, and I said (full details here) that if people raised $2,500 for Con or Bust, which funds science fiction convention memberships for people of color, […]
Final(ish) Notes on Hugos and Puppies, 2015 Edition
Posted on August 29, 2015 172 Comments
(Warning: Hugo neepery, possibly the last of the season. Avoid if you don’t care.) It’s late, and I’m experiencing a bit of insomnia, so, hello, now that I’m home, here are some disjointed thoughts about the Hugo results and the post-award freakout about them that the Puppies appear to be having at the moment. 1. What […]
Athena’s First Day of School, 2015
Posted on August 28, 2015 20 Comments
It’s an annual tradition for me around here to post a picture of Athena on her first day of a new school year, but this year I was on tour when that day rolled around. So Krissy took a picture instead, and now I’m posting it for the record. Here is Athena, on the first […]
New Books and ARCs, 8/28/15
Posted on August 28, 2015 20 Comments
Back after three weeks of touring and these books (and two other stacks, which I will post later) were waiting for me. See anything here you’d put on your own shelves? Tell me in the comments!
The Big Idea: Stephen H. Provost
Posted on August 28, 2015 6 Comments
As many of you know, my first job out of college was as the film critic for the Fresno Bee newspaper in (surprise!) Fresno, California. Fresno doesn’t have a sterling reputation in-state, but I have to tell you, I had a great time, and among other things, it’s where I met my wife. So when […]
Charity Drive for Con or Bust: An Audio Version of “John Scalzi Is Not A Very Popular Author And I Myself Am Quite Popular,” Read by Me
Posted on August 27, 2015 222 Comments
UPDATE, 8/29/15: Donations top $10,000! The audio is up! (Update 11/17/15: And so is the song!) UPDATE, 8/28/15: As of 1pm today, the donations to Con or Bust — not counting my $500 matching gift — are $6869.17. Which is, uh, more than the $2,500 goal! Whoo-hoo! The audio has been recorded, and will be released […]
(Not a) View From a Hotel Window, 8/27/15: Bradford
Posted on August 27, 2015 12 Comments
Home is where your lawn is. I’m off to get re-acquainted with my wife and child and pets. See you all later. But before I go, thank you to everyone who came to see me on tour these last three weeks. You were each wonderful and I’m so glad you spent some of your time […]
My Lunch With Tom
Posted on August 26, 2015 59 Comments
If you follow me on Twitter at all then you’ll know that yesterday I had lunch with this fellow, who you humans know as “Tom Hanks.” Naturally, many people wanted to know how and why this meal appointment came about. The answer I can tell you about is that Mr. Hanks is a fan (and […]
View From a Hotel Window, 8/26/15: Scottsdale
Posted on August 26, 2015 7 Comments
Patio and pool instead of a parking lot. I can totally end this series of pictures on that note. Tonight: The Poisoned Pen in fabulous Scottsdale, Arizona. 7pm. Final event of this tour (well, sort of — I still have Dayton and Columbus, but I’ll be driving to those from home rather than getting there by plane. […]
View From a Hotel Window 8/25/15: Los Angeles
Posted on August 25, 2015 12 Comments
No parking lot. That would be the 405. But a nice view of the street. Tonight: The Last Bookstore! 7:30! Come hang, it will be awesome. Tomorrow: Phoenix and Scottsdale! The last night of the tour. Poisoned Pen, 7pm. Dress warmly! (PS: Don’t actually. It’s Phoenix in August, man.)
The Big Idea: Joe Beernink
Posted on August 25, 2015 20 Comments
You know what? You’re busy. Sometimes you miss things. Sometimes they’re important things. But in Nowhere Wild, author Joe Beernink posits what happens when you miss something really really really important. JOE BEERNINK: When I started writing what would become Nowhere Wild, I had one central theme in mind. What if civilization as we know […]
View From a Hotel Window, 8/24/15: Palo Alto
Posted on August 24, 2015 16 Comments
This parking lot is made of brick! Tonight: Kepler’s! In Menlo Park. 7pm. Me in conversation with Tad Williams. Should be a ton of fun. You should totally come by. Tomorrow: The penultimate event of the tour takes place in downtown LA, at The Last Bookstore, at 7:30pm. I’m very excited to be showing up to […]
Being a Jerk About the Hugos: Not as Effective a Strategy as You Might Think
Posted on August 24, 2015
(Warning: Hugo neepery. Avoid if you don’t care.) As most of you know, at last Saturday’s Hugo Awards ceremony, the voters, of which there were a record number, chose not to offer awards in five categories rather than to give the award to nominees who got on the ballot because of the Sad/Rabid Puppy slating campaign. […]
The End of All Things on the USA Today Bestseller List
Posted on August 24, 2015 18 Comments
Something I missed when it happened last week, because, you know, on tour and all that: The End of All Things debuted on the USA Today Bestseller list at #31, which is the highest a book of mine has ever gotten on the USA Today list. As comparisons, Lock In clocked in at #107, and […]
The Big Idea: Felicia Day
Posted on August 24, 2015 34 Comments
Felicia Day is someone who for most geeks needs no introduction: Creator of The Guild, instigator of the Geek & Sundry video channel, television celebrity and of course a star of the immortal Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Now she has another descriptor to add to her title: New York Times best selling author, as her […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying