Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 156 entries, all of them here in full.
October 9, 2016 · 117 words
Taos Toolbox 2017
Taos Toolbox, master class for writers of science fiction and fantasy, is on track for 2017! The workshop will take place June 18-July 1 2017, in Angel Fire, NM. Teaching will be Nancy Kress, Walter Jon Williams, and special lecturers Stephen Gould and EM Tippetts. This is a serious workshop for anyone who wants to [&h
Read entry →October 7, 2016 · 84 words
Here, There, and Another Place
I am newly located in various corners of cyberspace. First up, I am interviewed at MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape, specifically about Impersonations, but also about a few other things. Nextly, over on Tor.com, I have provided an appreciation of the strange and marvelous fiction of Cordwainer Smith. And lastly, EBookDaily has se
Read entry →October 4, 2016 · 214 words
Release Day!
George R.R. Martin writes: “Interstellar adventure has a new king, and his name is Walter Jon Williams.” Now, my friends, comes the Return of the King. The new Praxis novel Impersonations is released upon the world today, either in trade paperback or ebook format. You may order the book from your local bookstore, or or
Read entry →October 2, 2016 · 244 words
Uranus is Heaven!
Betcha didn’t know that Frank Sinatra recorded science fiction songs. Not only that, these were on an album that sold incredibly well and was nominated for Grammys. “Trilogy: Past, Present, Future” was a three-album boxed set released in 1977, and was produced by Gordon Jenkins, who more or less invented the idea of th
Read entry →September 29, 2016 · 675 words
Ice Cream Taco
Saturday night I returned to the Plaza Mayor for more of Globalquerque! Again the concert was preceded by Jambo’s reliable curried chicken, and by Santa Fe Brewery’s excellent porter. I also ate my first ice cream taco. Which, for the record, was enormous, a huge chunk of ice cream wrapped in a folded-over waffle. Noth
Read entry →September 26, 2016 · 891 words
Friday Night Lights
I spent two nights this last weekend at Globalquerque, our annual world music fiesta. There were eighteen bands rotating on three stages, which meant there was always music being played somewhere, and because I was often somewhere listening to music, that meant I couldn’t be everywhere. So I’m going to describe only wh
Read entry →September 21, 2016 · 692 words
Another Formula
So former publishing person Jodie Archer and analyst Matthew L. Jockers have developed an algorithm to isolate features common in bestsellers, and will reveal their new formula in their soon-to-be- published work, The Bestseller Code. What does the algorithm (and the public) like? Young, strong heroines who are also mi
Read entry →September 17, 2016 · 270 words
BoA Physics
Friend of the blog Michael Wester tells me that noted science foundation Bank of America has issued a report to its clients that there is a 20-50% chance we are living in a Matrix-style simulation. (Where are my cool shades and shiny leather coat?) The report cites Elon Musk, Neil de Grasse Tyson, philosopher Nick [&he
Read entry →September 10, 2016 · 89 words
Long Weekend
I’m up at the Ski Valley this weekend, soaking in that peaceful autumn high-mountain vibe. My usual venue is closed, so I’m staying in a mountain chalet so retro that it has no wi-fi. (Yeah! I was surprised, too!) So unless I drive down to Arroyo Seco’s coffee house (as I just did), it’s unlikely […]
Read entry →September 6, 2016 · 449 words
Watch List
As you might have been able to tell from my last couple of posts, I’m getting a little grumpy about my entertainment options. Just look at TV. We are really in television’s golden age, with dozens of channels programming 24 hours per day, and an unprecedented number of high-quality series on networks or available for [
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