Monthly Archives: October 2021
What, Is It Halloween Already
Posted on October 31, 2021 4 Comments
Well, then, here. This seems seasonal. And if that’s not enough on the nose for you, here’s the same band doing the day’s theme song: Have a happy Halloween, y’all. — JS
A Small Gallery of Pixel 6 Pro Photos, With Dogs and Plants
Posted on October 29, 2021 12 Comments
For those who were wondering what the photo quality of the Pixel 6 Pro is, I present to you a small collection of photos I just took with the new phone. Save for a small bit of cropping on a couple, these photos are otherwise as they came out of the camera; I haven’t done […]
The Big Idea: Drew Brockington
Posted on October 29, 2021 1 Comment
Cartoon cats! And science! I mean, that sells me on Waffles and Pancake – Planetary-Yum right there. But author/illustrator Drew Brockington is here to tell us more about how a childhood love of space travel has led him to catstronauts, and the kittens who look up to them. DREW BROCKINGTON: When I was a kid, […]
Pixel 6 Pro: (Very) First Impressions
Posted on October 28, 2021 21 Comments
My Pixel 6 Pro arrived yesterday, and I switched everything over last night and have been playing with it since. I haven’t had enough time with it to do everything that it’s capable of, but in the time I have had it, I have formed some definite opinions and first thoughts. Let me tell you […]
Dune: A Review
Posted on October 28, 2021 49 Comments
Dune has a checkered cinematic history, as just about everyone at this point is aware of. There was the 1984 film by David Lynch that was, charitably, a real hot mess; Lynch was and is a brilliant director but he was overwhelmed by the scale of the production, the necessity of working with the De […]
The Big Idea: Emmie Mears
Posted on October 28, 2021 1 Comment
Look to the Sun is a book that is getting a second chance at a release, and in the time between its first appearance and its new one, author Emmie Mears looks at how the world changed around it — and what that change means for all of us. EMMIE MEARS: I think we all […]
The Big Idea: Christopher Hinz
Posted on October 27, 2021 1 Comment
Christopher Hinz is seeing the re-issue of his Paratwa Trilogy of books (of which Liege-Killer, the cover of which is above, is the first), and on the occasion of their re-release, Hinz has a letter he’d like to share with the universe, about the books, humanity, and the state of the world. CHRISTOPHER HINZ: Dear […]
First Frost
Posted on October 27, 2021 11 Comments
It was inevitable, and it happened this morning: The first substantial frost of the season. My entire yard is tipped in tiny ice crystals, which is beautiful, and also cold, and as you can see above, even the roses are rimmed with it. The frost won’t last — it’s already melting in the morning sun […]
The Big Idea: Ryan O’Nan
Posted on October 26, 2021 4 Comments
We all have those moments we wish we could take back. In Winders, some people just might be able to. How might that work — and how might that affect those who could do it? Author Ryan O’Nan is here to catch us all up. RYAN O’NAN: When I was a baby, my uncle was […]
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles
Posted on October 24, 2021 24 Comments
I’m in my ancestral county right now, the primary reason being to attend the delayed memorial service of a dear friend (it was last night and was bittersweet but also wonderful in its way), but also to see the living, sometimes at museums (see above), and to have meetings, because meetings are what Los Angeles […]
Signed SF/F Books to Support Charity
Posted on October 22, 2021 5 Comments
My good pal James Cambias, who not entirely incidentally here is a terrific science fiction author, passes along this note to me about a fundraiser for the town he lives in: “The non-profit Friends of Deerfield are conducting an online auction beginning October 22, with dozens of items including sports memorabilia, antiques — and signed […]
Yeah, Okay, So, Maybe I Bought Another Guitar, So What
Posted on October 20, 2021 30 Comments
I’d been thinking of getting a Les Paul, and this blacked-out special edition was speaking to me aesthetically, so, what the hell, I got it. I showed it to Krissy when it arrived and it spoke to her personal aesthetic sense as well, so that helps. That said, no more guitars for me I swear. […]
The Big Idea: Patti Callahan
Posted on October 20, 2021 5 Comments
For Once Upon a Wardrobe, author Patti Callahan considers a story and a world most of us know, to tell a story that many of us may have not considered — but without it, that earlier beloved tale would not exist. PATTI CALLAHAN: Nearly every culture in the world has an origin story – but […]
Happy (Approximate) Birthday, Charlie
Posted on October 20, 2021 27 Comments
We got Charlie on March 20, and we were told at the time she was about five or six months old, which means she was probably born around this time in October of last year. We decided for convenience that we’d pick October 20 to be her birthday, because it made sense to us and […]
The Big Idea: Cassandra Khaw
Posted on October 19, 2021 6 Comments
In Nothing But Blackened Teeth, author Cassandra Khaw looks at the ties that bind us… and why we might not cut them even if we have the tools to do so. CASSANDRA KHAW: Nothing But Blackened Teeth is about zombie relationships. The shambling half-things we all find ourselves stitched to by circumstance, its body rotting, […]
How To Get Signed & Personalized Books From Me For the Holidays, 2021, or, The Supply Chain Is Messed Up Edition
Posted on October 18, 2021 5 Comments
As you all know, every year around mid-November, I do a thing with Jay and Mary’s Book Center, my local bookseller, where I encourage people to buy my books there as holiday gifts, and when they do, I come down to the store to sign and personalize them and then send them off by mid-December, […]
A Saturday Hibiscus
Posted on October 16, 2021 4 Comments
It’s a busy weekend here at the Scalzi Compound, for various reasons (most positive!), but I saw this hibiscus unfurling early today and thought you all might like to see it, too. It’s always nice to take a moment to appreciate beauty when you find it. — JS
The Winner of the “Kaiju” Contest Is…
Posted on October 15, 2021 21 Comments
I was slightly stunned to see the response to this giveaway: Nearly 2,400 entries, 1,000 of which came in the first two hours. Makes me feel all warm inside, it does. Nevertheless, it’s now time to declare the winner: Alan, who chose the correct number “867,” along with ten others. I then instructed Alexa to […]
The Big Idea: Dave Ring
Posted on October 15, 2021 5 Comments
In The Hidden Ones, author Dave Ring is looking at a part of human relationships that sometimes gets short shrift in the world of fiction — but in many way is the part of human relationships most of us strive for. And just what part is that? Ring is here to explain. DAVE RING: In […]
Win the ARC of The Kaiju Preservation Society (and a Reminder That You Can Pre-Order a Signed, Personalized Copy From Subterranean Press)
Posted on October 13, 2021 2,386 Comments
Look! It’s an Advance Reader Copy of my upcoming novel The Kaiju Preservation Society! And also, Charlie, who is convinced that nibbling on a the ARC is a excellent way for her to get her roughage. It’s not! And also, I can’t let her eat this ARC, because I intend to give it away to […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying