Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 226 entries, all of them here in full.
February 14, 2012 · 475 words
Flock of Swans
On 6 May 2o1o, the Flash Crash hit at 2:45pm and the stock market lost 1000 points in only a few minutes, spurred by frantic sell orders from automated trading systems. Because we haven’t seen anything as radical as the Flash Crash before or since, it’s been assumed that this sort of thing is fairly […]
Read entry →February 13, 2012 · 186 words
Monday Monday
Monday’s the official release day for The Fourth Wall, the third in my series featuring game designer Dagmar Shaw. Let’s party! Of course you should probably buy the book first. If you can’t find it at your local bookstore, then it can be purchased at Amazon and B&N, or in ebook formats via Kindle and […]
Read entry →February 13, 2012 · 284 words
Straight From the Toolbox!
Some items concerning Taos Toolbox: First, there are still a few places available in the science fiction and fantasy master class taught by Nancy Kress, Daniel Abraham, and myself. If you think you might want to write this sort of thing professionally, then do the professional thing and apply! Toolbox grad Sean Craven
Read entry →February 10, 2012 · 1,399 words
Reviews Too Late: Red Cliff
One quick question: why are films about the Alamo always boring? I’ll leave you to ponder that while I chat about Red Cliff. Red Cliff was the most expensive film ever made in China, and also produced more Asian box office than any film, ever. Originally it was released as two films in 2008-9, a […]
Read entry →February 9, 2012 · 227 words
Robot Overlord 1.0
Want to buy your own robot fighting machine? iRobot (a corporate name that is bound to interest the Asimov estate) will sell you the 710 Warrior for a mere . . . well, I don’t actually know the price. The Warrior 710 is a 450-pound tracked robot that is built for versatility and moving […]
Read entry →February 7, 2012 · 441 words
Wall Street— Gone Dark?
Just days ago I was mocking the Dodd-Frank financial reforms as overly complex and ineffectual. But now an article in New York suggests that they have, in fact, had a considerable effect on the banking industry. And for the good, if you ask me . . . To comply with the looming regulations, banks have […]
Read entry →February 7, 2012 · 191 words
Madonna . . . HIGH PRIESTESS OF SATAN!!!
Enjoyed the Super Bowl halftime show, did you? Bet you didn’t know you were WORSHIPING THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS! According to this guy anyway. He starts with the fact that one of Madonna’s dancers had angel wings and a harp, and goes right to the obvious conclusion that this is totally Satanic— because Lucifer was
Read entry →February 5, 2012 · 334 words
Here. Now. (Or Soon)
I don’t believe my new novel was actually supposed to be available just yet, but I’m hearing that it’s been seen on shelves . . . so hey! If others can jump the gun, so can I! Ta-daaa! Here you have it, The Fourth Wall! You may have seen me refer to this book by […]
Read entry →February 3, 2012 · 414 words
Sizing Up the Super-PACs
The New York Times has been tracking the donors to the “super-PACS,” the grossly-funded organizations which, thanks to our Supreme Court, usually boast more money than the candidates they choose to support. Let’s find out who’s behind the nation’s race to oligarchy, shall we? I’m shocked— shocked!— to disco
Read entry →February 3, 2012 · 169 words
Another Workshop (with Me in It)
After my last post about the workshops I’ll be teaching this year, I’ve been reminded that there was one workshop I failed to mention. I had thought the membership was more restricted than it was, and so I reckoned a general audience wouldn’t be interested. I will be teaching a workshop in structure and plotting [&hell
Read entry →February 2, 2012 · 781 words
Reviews in the Nick of Time: Red Tails
I was intrigued when I’d heard that George Lucas believed in this movie so much that he financed it himself. Apparently the Hollywood studios— staffed of course by all those Hollywood liberals we hear so much about— declined to finance a war epic about black people. I was very impressed that Lucas was so co
Read entry →January 31, 2012 · 632 words
Watching the Newtster
During the time that Newt Gingrich has been out of office, I’ve completely forgotten what a special joy it is to listen to the guy. He’s like the Creature from the Id. He absolutely can’t suppress himself, and sees no reason why he should. I’m almost as fascinated by Newt as Newt himself. So now […]
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