Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 181 entries, all of them here in full.
March 15, 2013 · 230 words
Aesthetic
So I’ve just read a steampunk novel, and now I’m going to get all grumpy on its ass. The book had nearly everything you might expect to find in a steampunk novel. Zeppelins. Goggles. Weird pseudo-Vernian inventions. Intrepid explorers. It ha practically everything on the steampunk checklist except the one thing steampu
Read entry →March 13, 2013 · 261 words
Works of Art
After travel, the holidays, and a period in which my eyes refused to contemplate a display screen, I’ve finally returned to my part-time job as a publisher, and am working on the final ebook of my sea series, To Glory Arise, originally The Privateer. Behold a couple pieces of art, conveniently in public domain, that [&
Read entry →March 12, 2013 · 595 words
Don’t Embarrass Me
I’ve been “enjoying” (if that is indeed the right word) the “controversy” (if that’s what it is) over on John Scalzi’s blog concerning the unconscionable contract boilerplate which Random House proposes to inflict upon the victims, um, I mean authors in its new ebook programs. I won’t summarize the issues here, that’s
Read entry →March 7, 2013 · 143 words
Geek Fail!
So there is an actual political controversy now over President Obama’s mentioning the “Jedi mind meld,” with demi-geeks and geek wannabees claiming that he mixed up Star Trek and Star Wars, which should never be done, ever. I feel duty-bound to point out that there is a Jedi meld, and that furthermore I was the first [
Read entry →March 6, 2013 · 1,643 words
After the Flood
My house doesn’t have a furnace proper, it has a boiler that pumps hot water to registers in each room. Which is a terrific, energy-efficient system, right up to the point where the water pump springs a leak. Oddly enough, it wasn’t the boiler room that flooded, but the closet of the room next door. […]
Read entry →March 5, 2013 · 138 words
The Fin Revealed!
My last post challenged you loyal readers to identify the strange aircraft in the photo (which loyal reader Lektu correctly identified as a Caproni CA 22), and to explain the bizarre canvas-covered fin on the top wing. Despite deeply charming suggestions such as sun shades and camp beds— which I wish did exist, b
Read entry →February 28, 2013 · 377 words
Vox Dei
Last week I ranted at some length about fiction I’d encountered that failed to convince me that I should care about it, either because of the trivial issues it raised or because the author made no attempt to convince me that any of the action was plausible. Over the last week I’ve been thinking about […]
Read entry →February 27, 2013 · 78 words
Food. Heroes. Awards. Toolbox.
Over on her blog, Taos Toolbox grad Fran Wilde has a perceptive interview with Taos Toolbox grad (and current Nebula nominee) Saladin Ahmed on writing, food, and workshops. He says very nice things about Taos Toolbox, and also about my cooking. So hey! Be like Saladin! Come to the workshop, pay attention, finish your w
Read entry →February 25, 2013 · 283 words
A Twain of Twains
Last night I met the actor Hal Holbrook. Which is less impressive than it sounds: he met a lot of people last night, at a meet-and-greet backstage after one of his performances as Mark Twain. Holbrook is 89 years old. He first came to Albuquerque in 1941. He’s been doing Mark Twain longer than I’ve […]
Read entry →February 22, 2013 · 111 words
Mighty Steroid Eyes
My eyes are much better, thanks for asking. (And thank you, everybody, for the kind inquiries.) A couple days ago my doc gave me some steroid drops, presumably so that the muscles in my eyes would grow big and strong like Russian wrestlers. At any rate, the light sensitivity and pain have both faded, if […]
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