Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 3,174 entries, all of them here in full.
November 20, 2009 · 600 words
Fascist Digital Economy
So I watched this week with appalled fascination as Britain’s government brought in its Digital Economy Bill, another giant leap forward in the Labour Party’s ever-evolving “soft fascism.” (And which will probably become law just in time for the Tories to step into office. What joy.) As a blinkered and baffled American
Read entry →November 18, 2009 · 102 words
Lord of Light Trailer
Yes. Back from France. But still wrapped up in the complexities of being back from France. So while I cope with coping, check out the trailer for the upcoming film Lord of Light. Which tells the true story of how the CIA, masquerading as film producers scouting locations for a film of Zelazny’s Lord of […]
Read entry →November 5, 2009 · 81 words
South Beneath the Full Moon
Utopiales ended on Sunday, and a fine convention it was, too. Then we spent three rainy days in Bourgogne, visiting Kathy’s cousine Karen, who with her S/O Jean-Bertrand owns an old stone farmhouse dated 1641. We left bloated with Jean-Bertrand’s superb cooking, spent a day and a half in Avignon checking the scene, and
Read entry →October 25, 2009 · 69 words
Ad Astra
Novel finished and delivered to editors in UK and US. Bags packed for France. Flight in six hours. I’ll be gone for three weeks, and may not be able to check in during that time. In the meantime, please buy many copies of This Is Not a Game. Thank you.(Now if only I can find […]
Read entry →October 24, 2009 · 314 words
A Fine Phrenzy
I am preparing to leave this coming Sunday for Utopiales, Europe’s largest SF con, where I am one of the guests of honor. After which I will spent a couple weeks wandering around France, basically kicking the tires and looking for cool stuff to write about. (A previous trip to France produced a Nebula-winning novella,
Read entry →October 23, 2009 · 661 words
Net Neutrality is a Commie Conspiracy!
War hero John “a google” McCain is standing up for America yet again! He’s trying to keep the government’s evil hands off our tubes— I mean, our Internets!Yes, children— John McCain has introduced a bill to ban Net Neutrality! In this he has support from brave weeping patriot Glenn Beck, who has publically
Read entry →October 22, 2009 · 744 words
A Writer’s Life
It turns out that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tax returns were never thrown out. An analysis by William J Quirk shows that Fitzgerald was not the irresponsible spendthrift of legend, but a very careful and reliable earner, who carefully documented his income and expenses. (Though, like all of us, he did sometimes wonder wher
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