Our friend Pat Rothfuss just had his debut book, The Name of the Wind, named as the best book of 2007 by The Onion’s AV Club. (http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/the_best_books_we_read_in_2007). That’s Best Book, not best SF Book. I highly recommend it. Pat was able to take all of the genre conventions of Epic Fantasy and somehow made them fresh again. His prose is also exquisite.
This goes along with his Quill Award. I suspect that more awards are coming.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
I'm Resting
It’s been a while since I blogged, but not for bad reasons. I have actually been taking a break. I can’t remember the last time that Lynne, Caitlin, and I did this. We’ve just been luxuriating at home, watching TV, listening to music, and reading. I’m beginning to feel recharged.
Christmas was nice. The family got together in low-key fashion. Prezzies were exchanged, and all was well in the world.
Boxing day was spent with our friends Eric and Stephanie enjoying Bond films and the RiffTrax http://www.rifftrax.com/ version of Glitter. Much fun was had.
Fluid Links work was busy with many discussions between the writers and editor. I’ve also been doing a serious rethink of the last third of the novel. I think that I have fixed some problems, and I now have a solid outline for the last four chapters.
The Bears played well today, not that it matters.
The Cubs first spring training game is February 29.
Go Cubs!!!
Fukudome Fever, Catch It!!!
Just Finished Reading: Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
Currently Reading: Dragon Champion by E. E. Knight
Christmas was nice. The family got together in low-key fashion. Prezzies were exchanged, and all was well in the world.
Boxing day was spent with our friends Eric and Stephanie enjoying Bond films and the RiffTrax http://www.rifftrax.com/ version of Glitter. Much fun was had.
Fluid Links work was busy with many discussions between the writers and editor. I’ve also been doing a serious rethink of the last third of the novel. I think that I have fixed some problems, and I now have a solid outline for the last four chapters.
The Bears played well today, not that it matters.
The Cubs first spring training game is February 29.
Go Cubs!!!
Fukudome Fever, Catch It!!!
Just Finished Reading: Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
Currently Reading: Dragon Champion by E. E. Knight
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas, Or Not
I just wanted to wish all of our friends a very Merry Christmas, unless you don’t celebrate Christmas or it offends you. Then just have a nice few days with friends and family, unless you hate your friends and family. Umm...Peace on Earth. Yeah, who can’t get behind that? May there be Peace on Earth.
I do want to thank all of you for being such good friends to us this year. There was a point in our lives when it seemed like certain issues would make it impossible to socialize and meet people. Lynne and I feel so lucky that our lives remain full and rich. We are the richest family in Bedford Falls.
I do want to thank all of you for being such good friends to us this year. There was a point in our lives when it seemed like certain issues would make it impossible to socialize and meet people. Lynne and I feel so lucky that our lives remain full and rich. We are the richest family in Bedford Falls.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Six Greatest Christmas TV Episodes for Geeks
6- The Venture Brothers- “A Very Venture Christmas”
Eleven minutes of brilliance. Like the series, it somehow mashes up everything pop culture while never feeling like a mere parody show.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Very_Venture_Christmas
5- Xena: Warrior Princess- “A Solstice Carol”
It’s just a lot of cheeky Xena fun as all of our modern tropes are transported into Xena’s mythic Greece.
http://www.whoosh.org/epguide/solstice.html
4- The Avengers- “Too Many Christmas Trees”
Rarely in cult television is the Christmas episode one of the best episodes of the series (note the lack of Buffy and Angel on this list). This is one of the greatest Avengers episodes ever. It’s fun and creepy. Steed gets great lines, and Emma gets to beat people up. There’s even a great Honor Blackman joke.
http://theavengers.tv/forever/peel1-13.htm
3- “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
It’s still smart, cynical, funny, and topical. We always dance to “Linus and Lucy.” Lynne and I still know every line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas
2- Doctor Who- “The Christmas Invasion”
Brilliant. One of the strongest introductory episodes for a Doctor ever. David Tennant is marvelous, and Billie Piper is exquisite. It’s funny, exciting, and full of Christmassy goodness.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2005/christmasinvasion.shtml
1- “A Muppet Family Christmas”
This is Christmas. Everything Jim Henson brought together in one fantastic special. Kermit and Robin meet the Fraggles! Big Bird meets the Swedish Chef! Christmas music and laughs throughout. It is a perfect special. I dare you not to tear up when Jim Henson shows up at the end.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Muppet_Family_Christmas
Eleven minutes of brilliance. Like the series, it somehow mashes up everything pop culture while never feeling like a mere parody show.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Very_Venture_Christmas
5- Xena: Warrior Princess- “A Solstice Carol”
It’s just a lot of cheeky Xena fun as all of our modern tropes are transported into Xena’s mythic Greece.
http://www.whoosh.org/epguide/solstice.html
4- The Avengers- “Too Many Christmas Trees”
Rarely in cult television is the Christmas episode one of the best episodes of the series (note the lack of Buffy and Angel on this list). This is one of the greatest Avengers episodes ever. It’s fun and creepy. Steed gets great lines, and Emma gets to beat people up. There’s even a great Honor Blackman joke.
http://theavengers.tv/forever/peel1-13.htm
3- “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
It’s still smart, cynical, funny, and topical. We always dance to “Linus and Lucy.” Lynne and I still know every line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas
2- Doctor Who- “The Christmas Invasion”
Brilliant. One of the strongest introductory episodes for a Doctor ever. David Tennant is marvelous, and Billie Piper is exquisite. It’s funny, exciting, and full of Christmassy goodness.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2005/christmasinvasion.shtml
1- “A Muppet Family Christmas”
This is Christmas. Everything Jim Henson brought together in one fantastic special. Kermit and Robin meet the Fraggles! Big Bird meets the Swedish Chef! Christmas music and laughs throughout. It is a perfect special. I dare you not to tear up when Jim Henson shows up at the end.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Muppet_Family_Christmas
Caitlin's Week Before Christmas
It’s been a challenging parenting week. Much of this is in Lynne’s blog. It started with Caitlin developing blisters on her left foot. This is, of course, not a good thing. This meant that Cait and I had to run out to her orthotic shop to get some alterations done to her Ankle Foot Orthotics (they’re like braces). So, Thursday night we ran out to the joint, which is just south of Fox Valley Mall on Route 59 during the peak of holiday shopping. It was not fun.
The worst part, however, was the massive fog that has been blanketing our area as the snow melts on the corn/soy fields. It is never fun driving at night on a rural expressway with 30 feet of visibility. The important thing is that Caitlin’s foot should be fine now.
Yesterday Caitlin finally had a big seizure. I still see this as a big win. She was almost two months seizure free. Considering that she was having two massive spasms a day during the summer, this is still a good thing. Of course, giving your five-year-old child rectal valium because she won’t stop seizing is never fun.
Caitlin is also cutting some rear molars. This has given her some bouts of crying all week. Lynne is off to get more Tylenol suppositories for her, which should help. Unfortunately, it’s all she can take.
On the plus side, she is very excited by the whole Santa thing. We’ve also had a relaxing week together as a family. The shopping was pretty much done days ago. It’s really just been a few days of hanging out watching TV.
The worst part, however, was the massive fog that has been blanketing our area as the snow melts on the corn/soy fields. It is never fun driving at night on a rural expressway with 30 feet of visibility. The important thing is that Caitlin’s foot should be fine now.
Yesterday Caitlin finally had a big seizure. I still see this as a big win. She was almost two months seizure free. Considering that she was having two massive spasms a day during the summer, this is still a good thing. Of course, giving your five-year-old child rectal valium because she won’t stop seizing is never fun.
Caitlin is also cutting some rear molars. This has given her some bouts of crying all week. Lynne is off to get more Tylenol suppositories for her, which should help. Unfortunately, it’s all she can take.
On the plus side, she is very excited by the whole Santa thing. We’ve also had a relaxing week together as a family. The shopping was pretty much done days ago. It’s really just been a few days of hanging out watching TV.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Argentus Is Out
Steven H Silver’s Argentus Issue 7 is out. My article on Doctor Who continuity, 1963 and All That: A Look at Doctor Who Continuity, is in there. There’s a lot of good stuff in this fanzine. It’s worth reading if only for Mike Resnick’s piece about his friendship with Anton LaVey.
http://efanzines.com/Argentus/Ag07.pdf
Writers:
Matthew Appleton
Georges Dodds
Richard Horton
Howard Andrew Jones
Fred Lerner
James D. Nicoll
John O’Neill
Mike Resnick
Peter Sands
Steven H Silver
Allen Steele
Michael D. Thomas
Artists:
Sheryl Birkhead
Brad Foster
Deb Kosiba
Rotsler
Taral Wayne
http://efanzines.com/Argentus/Ag07.pdf
Writers:
Matthew Appleton
Georges Dodds
Richard Horton
Howard Andrew Jones
Fred Lerner
James D. Nicoll
John O’Neill
Mike Resnick
Peter Sands
Steven H Silver
Allen Steele
Michael D. Thomas
Artists:
Sheryl Birkhead
Brad Foster
Deb Kosiba
Rotsler
Taral Wayne
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