Monthly Archives: December 2021
A Stained Glass Moment
Posted on December 14, 2021 31 Comments
Since we purchased the church last week, I’ve noticed that one feature of the building that people seem really interested in is the stained glass. People want to know if we’re going to keep it, replace it, do [insert whatever thing they think we should do with it here], and so on. They also want […]
The Big Idea: Alex Thomson
Posted on December 14, 2021 8 Comments
Language is aural, and in the case of sign language, visual — but are these the only ways a true language could exist? Maybe not! In Spidertouch, author Alex Thomson posits another way, and he touches on it in this Big Idea. ALEX THOMSON: The idea for Spidertouch started with a Wikipedia rabbit-hole of nostalgia. […]
Pet Break, 12/13/21
Posted on December 13, 2021 18 Comments
I’ve had a long and vaguely irritating day, and figure you might have, too, so, here, please enjoy Charlie and Sugar lounging about together. And before you note that Sugar doesn’t look that happy about it, I’ll note she always looks a little irritated; that’s how her face works. But she’s the one who decided […]
RIP, Anne Rice
Posted on December 12, 2021 16 Comments
To the above tweet I’ll add that, because early on I wanted to know more about the amazing woman who I hoped to marry, I went ahead and read several of Rice’s books, specifically from her vampire and “Witching Hour” series. In those books it was obvious that very few people could set a scene […]
The Big Idea: Katharine Coldiron
Posted on December 10, 2021 4 Comments
What does it take to make a famously bad movie? Katharine Coldiron, who here writes a book-length monograph on one of the most famous bad films of all time, Plan 9 From Outer Space, suggests that it’s not just what shows up on the screen. KATHARINE COLDIRON: One version of the story of my monograph […]
“Kaiju” Starred Review in Publishers Weekly
Posted on December 9, 2021 2 Comments
Well, here is some welcome news this evening: The Kaiju Preservation Society gets its second starred review from the publishing trades, this time from Publishers Weekly, which says it is “equally lighthearted and grounded—and sure to delight.” I will happily take that! And also I continue to be really happy that reviewers are connecting with […]
Rainier, Coming and Going
Posted on December 9, 2021 11 Comments
I got two nice views of Mt. Rainier last week, the first as I was coming in on the plane, and the second as I got off the train at the airport to catch a flight home. In both cases, there was a cool lenticular cloud cap on the mountain. It was a nice bit […]
The Big Idea: Femi Fadugba
Posted on December 9, 2021 2 Comments
In creating The Upper World, author Femi Fadugba decided he needed more than the usual levels of inspiration — he needed collaboration. And that collaboration was to come in a most unusual way. It all starts with headphones. FEMI FADUGBA: There’s a scene in The Upper World where my 16-year-old South London protagonist, Esso, is […]
Church Acquisition Follow-Up
Posted on December 8, 2021 110 Comments
After I announced that Krissy and I had purchased a church, many of you had, well, questions. Today I am going to answer some of those questions, and also add some further observations about being the sort of people who now own a whole damn church. 1. To begin, yes, two days in, it continues […]
The Big Idea: Don Handfield and Joshua Malkin
Posted on December 8, 2021 2 Comments
In today’s Big Idea, authors and filmmakers Don Handfield and Joshua Malkin reveal a simple and possibly universal truth: No matter who you are, or what you do, or how you do it, there’s always room in your life for the power of unicorns. And thus, their graphic novel, Unikorn. DON HANDFIELD and JOSHUA MALKIN: […]
A Quick Jolt of Holiday Cheer For You
Posted on December 8, 2021 5 Comments
From Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: Here’s the album page, if you want to check it out.
The Big Idea: M.A. Carrick
Posted on December 7, 2021 1 Comment
Lies and trust, trust and lies… two sides of the same coin, right? As M.A. Carrick explains in this Big Idea for The Liar’s Knot, it can actually be far more complicated than that. M.A. CARRICK: In the Big Idea post we wrote for The Mask of Mirrors, the first book of the Rook and […]
And Now, the Latest Scalzi Acquisition
Posted on December 6, 2021 177 Comments
And to help us along with this, I am calling on your friend and mine, Whatever’s favorite recurring gimmick, the Fictional Interlocutor! For the record, I’m not comfortable being called a gimmick. I understand that entirely, and yet. Hmmmph. Why are you bothering me now? Because I want you to help me introduce the latest […]
View From a Hotel Window, 12/4/21: Seattle
Posted on December 4, 2021 19 Comments
The corner there is of the convention center in town, this weekend housing the Emerald City Comic Con. For me, at least, it’s going pretty well so far — people have been lovely, everyone’s masked and vaxxed, and the panels I’ve done have been fun. I’ve even gotten “off campus” to see friends, which is […]
Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2021, Day Five: Charities
Posted on December 3, 2021 44 Comments
For the last four days, the Whatever Gift Guide 2021 has been about helping you find the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones. But today I’d like to remind folks that the season is also about helping those in need. So this final day is for charities. If you’re looking for a place to make a […]
The Big Idea: Janice L. Newman
Posted on December 3, 2021 2 Comments
Author Janice L. Newman is thinking about love, what it means, and how it manifests… and not in the ways we always expect. In the Big Idea for her collection At First Contact, Newman explains why all these various looks of love matter to her. JANICE L. NEWMAN: It might seem tricky at first to […]
Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2021, Day Four: Fan Favorites!
Posted on December 2, 2021 29 Comments
For the first three days of the Whatever Gift Guide 2021, I’ve let authors and creators tell you about their work. Today is different: Today is Fan Favorites day, in which fans, admirers and satisfied customers share with you a few of their favorite things — and you can share some of your favorite things as […]
The Big Idea: Shannon Fay
Posted on December 2, 2021 2 Comments
Location, location, location: Often where an author is can inform the stories that they eventually choose to tell. Location mattered for Shannon Fay for her novel Innate Magic… and not just because of the landmarks. SHANNON FAY: A big inspiration for Innate Magic came from London itself. I wanted to show what it is like […]
Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2021, Day Three: Arts, Crafts, Music and More
Posted on December 1, 2021 50 Comments
The Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2021 continues, and today we move away from books and focus on other gifts and crafts — which you can take to mean just about any other sort of thing a creative person might make: Music, art, knitting, jewelry, artisan foodstuffs and so on. These can be great, unique gifts for special folks […]
Whatever Everyone Else is Saying