Is there anything objectively wrong with wrinkled clothes? Is it an workplace safety issue? Do the clothes wear out faster? Does it contribute to global warming?
It’s really down to other people’s preferences, yes? If “the wrinkled look” suddenly came into fashion, we could reclaim the time we waste neatly folding clothes without worrying about how people would treat us.
Let’s make that happen, please.
1) Entrepreneurship and health care. “You’ve heard of learned helplessness? This is learned corporatism.”
2) Giant stuffed microbes. Just in case you wanted to cuddle up to the swine flu.
3) Want to receive free advance reader copies of Del Rey books to review on your blog? Fill out this form.
4) Limits of human endurance: in the muscles or in the brain? Crazy-interesting, and my wife will love this. via Jay Lake
5) Do you guys like these link roundups? Anything you want less/more of?
Fifth things fifth: Del Rey is giving away ten copies of Child of Fire. Here’s the money quote:
Send an e-mail with your name and address to delrey@randomhouse.com with Child of Fire in the subject line. E-mails must be received by Wednesday, October 7th. We’ll select ten e-mails at random to receive a special Advance Reader’s Edition of Child of Fire. Good luck!
It sounds like this isn’t the finished version, but the uncorrected “Docksiders” galley. It’s practically a collector’s item. And it comes pre-signed by me.
Sixth things sixth: Next Tuesday, 9/29, I’ll be participating in a live chat on Suvudu.com. Check it out.
Of course, everyone reading this is invited.
Seventh things seventh: My short essay on appearing at the San Diego Comic Con is featured in the latest Del Rey Internet Newsletter (but I can’t find it on the web site, so no link right now–mebbe later).
First things first: I earned my three-gallon pin today. Folks, if you can give blood, please do so. It saves lives. Plus you get snacks.
Second things second: Child of Fire has a Kindle edition. I’ve seen Kindles on the bus and they aren’t for me, but maybe there’s someone reading this who would love to get a discounted electronic copy of the book.
Third things third: According to the Internet, I read 300 wpm (approx) with 91% comprehension. My Complete Idiot’s Guide to Speed Reading says that’s “above average” but only barely. Come on, self-improvement!
Fourth things fourth: I’m willing to let people hate me. Just sayin’.
It’s amazing how much good a little quiet time can do.
Less than a week until Child of Fire officially publishes, and I’m in a confused, detached state of anxiety. Today, sending an email to someone, I fussed with the text of it so much that I ended up sending a completely blank message. Seriously, there was nothing in it at all.
Blah blah about a first novel and stress behind the cut. Continue reading
1) qotd: “I don’t mind hidden depths but I insist that there be a surface.” — James Nicoll
2) Best Fiction Generator Ever.
3) Reverse image search. Pretty cool.
4) What are the effects of killing all the pigs in Egypt? via Jay Lake
5) “Writers want to write short fiction and they’re going to keep finding ways to get them to readers. Writers seem willing to keep writing, even in the face of comparative commercial indifference.” Short fiction as loss-leaders for novels? As hobbyist activity? via matociquala
6) Real estate agent sends listing to sf/f lit agent for two and a half million dollar mountaintop retreat, because of course her millionaire genre writers will want to snap that right up. I wish she’d linked to the listing; I’ll bet Castle would look great perched on a rough wooden bench, staring thoughtfully into the morning mist.
6a) How to get rich as a writer? (geniusofevil, skip this part) Donald Maas’s free e-book has some interesting conclusions about the things writers do and don’t do to make a six-figure salary. I can’t help but wonder if he’d get the same results if he ran that survey again.
7) International Beard and Moustache Championships. Honestly, some of these make me a little sick.
8) Homes with cats 8 times more likely to contain mrsa. Not that it isn’t totally worth the risk!!! More interesting are the things listed that do not increase the germ risk.
I had my interview with Sohaib Awan at http://www.fictionalfrontiers.com today. It went pretty well, I think. I was damn nervous, but I didn’t stammer too much, and I don’t think I did the quiver-breathing thing I sometimes do.
It will probably air next Monday (or the Monday after that) between 5-6 pm, on WNJC 1360AM Philadelphia, simultaneously webcast on http://www.wnjc1360.com/. After that, there’ll be a podcast to listen to, if you can’t catch it live. I’ll post a link when it’s available.
Also, the first thing I did this morning was to give one last read-through of my Big Idea essay for John Scalzi’s blog. Good thing, too, because Christ was that opening paragraph stilted. It’s been sent off now. Hopefully, it’ll be well-received.
Today I mailed out the first batch of books, too. I called Random House to order more, but I’m thinking I need to have some sort of plan targeting where I’m going to send the rest.
And, finally, I had a morning meeting with my director buddy, about the movie we (mostly he–I just wrote it) made, and what the next step for him was going to be. He has another one of my scripts, a vampire script about infidelity and bad marriages, which he’s hoping to set up somewhere, but he first needs to find out what he can get from the walking-dead-on-TV movie we already shot. In any case, it was good to see my friend again.
1) Parasite eats fish’s tongue, then lives in its mouth feeding off its food. This one gives me goosebumps.
2) For The Love Of Scottie McMullet — Romance novels retitled to match their covers. I wish they’d do some sf/f/h novels.
3) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, a micro-budget horror film from a few years ago, is finally going to get a release. Check out the trailer, too.
4) Making your own video game monsters. I don’t know a thing about Bioshock, but even I know this is cool.
5) OMG, one week until Child of Fire‘s book release day.