Monthly Archives: October 2017
Reviews: Wolfenstein II and Stranger Things 2
Posted on October 31, 2017 25 Comments
Last week two bits of entertainment I’d been looking forward to finally unlocked for my enjoyment: the video game Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and Stranger Things 2, the second season of the well-regarded Netflix series. What did I think of both? Well, let me tell you. Wolfenstein II: I enjoyed the heck out of […]
My Halloween Self-Portrait, 2017
Posted on October 31, 2017 15 Comments
Pretty sexy, I have to say. Definitely right-swipeable on Tinder. Hope you’re having a very fine Halloween.
The Big Idea: Myke Cole
Posted on October 31, 2017 5 Comments
Is Siege Line the end? For author Myke Cole, no. He will have more books coming. But for a particular trilogy of books, and a phase of Cole’s career, the book represents a final stage. Not with a whimper, though — with a bang, and one that required more of the author than he initially […]
ZOMG DUDES INDICTMENTS
Posted on October 30, 2017 118 Comments
Of Paul Manafort and Rich Gates. Those of you who had them first in the indictment pool, come claim your prizes. I’m not a legal expert and I don’t know anything else about these but what I read in the news, but I do expect two things: 1. These are just the beginning; 2. If […]
New Books and ARCs 10/27/17 + a Mildly Annoyed Twitter Thread
Posted on October 27, 2017 51 Comments
Thread first, followed by the new books/ARCs in the last tweet. Folks, if you complain to me about my new books/ARCs stacks being one type of author more than others, refer complaints to publishers. — John Scalzi (@scalzi) October 27, 2017 Also, if your complaint tries to shame ME for the books sent to me, […]
Scalzi and Munro in Fresno
Posted on October 27, 2017 13 Comments
During our recent California sojurn, Krissy and I stopped in Fresno for a day. Why? Because, in fact, that’s where I lived when we met (I worked for the Fresno Bee newspaper), and we still have friends in the area, and we wanted to see them. One of the friends we saw was Donald Munro, […]
RIP, Stephen “Stepto” Toulouse
Posted on October 26, 2017 13 Comments
The last time I chatted with my friend Stephen Toulouse, he was cheerfully trolling me on Twitter about the AC/DC song “Thunderstruck,” which he enjoyed rather more than I did, followed by a quick DM to let me know he was just having fun, which of course I knew. I was having fun with him […]
Chromebooks and Photoediting
Posted on October 26, 2017 2 Comments
As most of you know I’m fond of Chromebooks, but they do have limitations — it helps to have a constant internet connection while using them, and for a long time everything had to be done in the browser. This was okay for email and word processing, but less great for things like photoediting. Recently, […]
New Books and ARCs, 10/26/17
Posted on October 26, 2017 28 Comments
Lots of very fine books and ARCs came to the Scalzi Compound when I was in California, and here’s the first stack of them. What here looks good to you? Tell us all in the comments!
Google Home Mini First Impressions
Posted on October 25, 2017 26 Comments
I had a Google Home Mini sent to the house while I was away and it was here for me when I came home. I was curious to try it out; I have a full-sized Google Home, which I like, but possibly not enough to spend $130 for another. I wanted to see if the […]
22 Years and Some-Odd Months
Posted on October 24, 2017 33 Comments
I posted this picture and the following bit on Facebook because that’s where most of my high school friends are online, but I’m posting it here as well. It’s true in both places. — One final picture from the Webb Schools Alumni Weekend, if I may: A picture of me with Krissy, standing in the […]
Lots and Lots of Photos From My High School Reunion
Posted on October 24, 2017 6 Comments
Last weekend I was on the campus of my high school for my 30th reunion with other members of the class of 1987 (as well as all the other classes ending in a “7” or “2” and indeed any other alumni that choose to show up). It was a delightful time — I went to […]
The Big Idea: Gregory Manchess
Posted on October 24, 2017 16 Comments
Every writer has their own process to develop a novel. But for writer/illustrator Gregory Manchess, the process for creating his visual-rich novel Above the Timberline was something rare, arresting, and inspiring. GREGORY MANCHESS: I found my own private portal into a future world through a painting called, “Above The Timberline.” I created the painting on-camera […]
Back From California
Posted on October 23, 2017 16 Comments
As you know if you follow me here or on other social media, I’ve lately been in the great state of California. What was I doing there? Well, in no particular order, going to and being a photographer for my niece’s wedding, seeing family and friends, having business meetings and going to my 30th(!) high […]
The Dispatcher eBook 99 Cents on Amazon Today Only (10/19/17)
Posted on October 19, 2017 19 Comments
The headline says it all: The Dispatcher is an Amazon Deal of the Day, so you can get it for under a buck on the Kindle. What a deal! But it’s only for the day (October 19, 2017), and it’s for the US and Canada. I’m not sure if the price applies on other retailers […]
Quick Check-In
Posted on October 18, 2017 48 Comments
Hello fellow humans! I am not dead. I am slowly making my way down the length of California toward my high school reunion. Life is good. I hope also that your life is good. Tell the class about your day in the comments. Yours, JS
Old Man’s War Now Out in Mini Hardcover
Posted on October 17, 2017 22 Comments
Today Tor Books is releasing Old Man’s War in a spiffy new “mini”-format hardcover edition: All the benefits of a hardcover book, miniaturized for your convenience! It’s available at your favorite bookstores in the US and Canada, and it’s no coincidence that it’s being released just prior to the holiday season. Stocking stuffer, my friends, […]
The Big Idea: Elizabeth Bonesteel
Posted on October 17, 2017 9 Comments
Hey, you know how irritated you get when your internet access goes down? Elizabeth Bonesteel gets you. And so does her latest novel, Breach of Containment. She’s here to explain — provided your connection doesn’t suddenly go out… ELIZABETH BONESTEEL: We live in the woods, and that means, among other things, we have the crappiest […]
Sacramento Photos
Posted on October 15, 2017 21 Comments
I’m in Sacramento, California. Here are some pictures from where I am. Hope your day is fabulous, wherever you are.
Naming a Thing
Posted on October 13, 2017 31 Comments
A couple weeks on, a brief follow-up to this piece, in which I noted how much 2017 was messing with my word count. It turns out it was really useful for me to write that piece. Not necessarily because I’ve increased my writing speed since then — I’m still slogging away at a slower pace […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying