Monthly Archives: December 2020
The End of 2020*
Posted on December 31, 2020 40 Comments
Wait, why the asterisk? Because 2020 is not a normal year, my friends! For me, 2020 began on March 11. That day I was on a cruise, avoiding news, when people started rushing up to me saying “Did you hear about Tom Hanks?!?!?” This was due to me actually knowing Mr. Hanks and therefore everyone […]
My Top 5 Posts of 2020
Posted on December 30, 2020 16 Comments
Season’s greetings, everyone! I kind of accidentally went on a hiatus for the past week, with it being my birthday and Christmas and all, but I thought I’d post one more thing before the New Year. I want to share with you my top five favorite posts I wrote this year. Overall, I think my […]
New Books and ARCs, 12/30/20
Posted on December 30, 2020 20 Comments
This is it, the final stack of new books and ARCs of 2020, and we’re going out with larger-than-usual stack of titles to make sure we’re all caught up. What here would you want in your hands in 2021? As always, share in the comments.
So, Scalzi, What Are Your 2021 Goals?
Posted on December 29, 2020 14 Comments
Honestly? They’re my 2020 goals, but this time, I will totally follow through, I swear. Or not! Look, I don’t feel bad about falling down on my 2020 goals, because, well, 2020 — one of my goals was to see more friends, for example, and the pandemic made that very difficult to do. It won’t […]
News Books and ARCs, 12/29/20
Posted on December 29, 2020 8 Comments
Behold the penultimate stack of new books and ARCs for 2020! What things here would you like to take into the new year? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The Big Idea: Michael Mammay
Posted on December 29, 2020 4 Comments
We view ourselves in a certain way, because we live with ourselves on a daily basis. What happens when people see us differently, and can those differences fuel the plot of a book? This is one of the questions Michael Mammay asked himself for his novel, Colonyside. MICHAEL MAMMAY: The concept of a Big Idea […]
The 2020 Experience: A Personal Reflection
Posted on December 28, 2020 47 Comments
If there was ever a year that showed the difference between “on paper” and “in reality,” 2020 was it. How so? Well, here is my personal 2020 on paper: * My novel The Last Emperox was a New York Times bestseller, got three starred reviews from the trades, was named one of the best books […]
And Now, My Favorite Photo That I Took in 2020
Posted on December 27, 2020 15 Comments
It’s this one: Why this one? For several reasons. One, it’s a whole mood; they’re beautiful flowers, but they’re already beginning to fade and wilt, a reminder that beauty is transient. Two, the light and shadow here is almost painterly, which is partly due to how it’s shot and partly the magic of Photoshop. Three, […]
Technical Test Follow-up
Posted on December 27, 2020 7 Comments
Basically, Google Chrome changed the way it caches images and information from the internet, which is generally a good thing — it means the browser is marginally more secure — but as a result using web fonts is kind of broken. Pages don’t necessarily show up in the typefaces I’ve chosen for them, even after […]
Doing a Technical Test
Posted on December 26, 2020 10 Comments
If you see the typeface change on the site, don’t panic, I’m just checking a few things. — JS
Whatever 2020: Top Posts and General Notes
Posted on December 26, 2020 14 Comments
This was a pretty good year for Whatever in terms of visitorship. Not only that, but for the first time in a couple of years the majority of the most popular posts on the site were posts that were written in the calendar year. And not just posts by me! Athena has made her presence […]
Come Gather ‘Round, Children, as Uncle Egor Tells You Stories of Famine in the Old Country
Posted on December 25, 2020 27 Comments
I think my Christmas gifts of a sweater and a flat cap lend me a certain continental charm. Once I am done terrifying the younger generation with stories of eating shoes to survive in the Great Starving of ’98, I will go out to the foothills to check on the goats. As one does. In […]
Whatever Best of 2020
Posted on December 24, 2020 8 Comments
Happy Christmas Eve! As is now tradition here at Whatever, I have once again on this day gathered what I think are some of my strongest posts of the year into a handy list for you to peruse at your leisure — to experience again, or to read for the first time. 2020 has been, […]
22
Posted on December 23, 2020 29 Comments
Athena’s 22 today, and while she can (and may!) give her own thoughts about being that age to you, on my end I think this last year has been an eventful one for her. As it has been for most of us: 2020 was not so much a curveball as it was a fastball aimed […]
Technical Note on the Site’s Mobile Theme
Posted on December 23, 2020 9 Comments
Which is that for some people there’s a UI bug that puts the “Exit Mobile Version” banner over the “Post” button when you want to leave a comment. I verified it being an issue on Android; I haven’t checked it elsewhere. I’m looking into it to see if I can fix it. In the meantime, […]
“Another Christmas (Until I Am There With You)” Out Now
Posted on December 22, 2020 37 Comments
Short version: I co-wrote a Christmas song with the musician Matthew Ryan and through New Year’s Day we are offering it free, as a gift to you (yes! You!). You can download it now from Matthew’s Bandcamp site, and you can listen to it here through the lyric video I’ve embedded at the bottom of […]
Jupiter, Saturn, Clouds
Posted on December 21, 2020 29 Comments
Since many of you who frequent this site are complete nerds, you’re probably aware that in tonight’s sky Jupiter and Saturn are within a tenth of a degree of each other, which is their closest conjunction in eight centuries. And because I’m the sort of nerd I am, I was hoping to see that. For […]
For No Reason Whatsoever, Here’s One of My Favorite Songs From a Couple of Years Ago
Posted on December 21, 2020 2 Comments
It’s “Don’t Go Away” by The Summer Kills. Their entire album, Last Night We Became Swans, is worth seeking out. On another subject entirely, come back tomorrow (12/22) around 2pm Eastern for an announcement. — JS
The Last Sunset of Autumn, 2020
Posted on December 20, 2020 6 Comments
And it’s a pretty good one. Here comes winter, folks. May it be full of beauty. — JS
Not a Single One of You Correctly Guessed the Holiday Song I Was Thinking of for the “Murder By Other Means” ARC Contest
Posted on December 19, 2020 28 Comments
None of you! 577 comments, not a single one correctly guessed the song I was thinking about. Which, incidentally, was this one: Now, “Santa Claus’ Party” is not a “top tier” holiday song in terms of popularity, but I didn’t think it was so hopelessly obscure that out of a few hundred people not a […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying