Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 119 entries, all of them here in full.
September 29, 2022 · 641 words
Adventurous
A few days ago Imperium Restored achieved a #1 on Amazon in the category of Women’s Adventure Fiction. I’m not sure what that category actually means— I’m reasonably certain that Men’s Adventure features firearms being discharged in all odd-numbered chapters, but Women’s Adventure as a category seems far more sli
Read entry →September 26, 2022 · 157 words
Mountainous Good Time
I’ve been off to the New Mexico mountains for the last week, in Angel Fire, hosting the Rio Hondo writers’ workshop, delayed by COVID for over two years. The workshop took place in mountain cabins at nearly 8000 feet, and featured food, drink, and serious discussions of literature— all the things that writers con
Read entry →September 14, 2022 · 545 words
Ears, Pointy, Two
I’ve watched three episodes (all there is, so far) of Amazon’s billion-dollar Tolkien fanfic, Rings of Power, and I find my reactions mixed. Public reaction so far has featured complaints that the series isn’t faithful enough to the source, but that complaint doesn’t have any weight with me. The filmmakers didn’t have
Read entry →September 11, 2022 · 83 words
Signed Books
Apropos the Privateers & Gentlemen books, a whole box of the original paperbacks has been discovered! Our friend Nadine is making them available here. All are signed, and all but one are unread and in good condition. You can buy them singly or buy the whole set of five. These have been out of print […]
Read entry →September 10, 2022 · 149 words
Five by Five
The fifth of my Privateers & Gentlemen series is now available as an audio book. read by the estimable Bronson Pinchot. It may be available only on Audible for the next 90 days or so, but that rule does not seem universally enforced. The Tern Schooner is appearing as if it’s the final book in […]
Read entry →September 7, 2022 · 89 words
Electronic Vacation
I returned home from Worldcon to find that my neighborhood had been hit by an electronic blackout. Without AC, our house was unlivable and we spent the evening with Terry and Jim, whose hospitality was much appreciated.By the time we got home, the electricity was on and the house was cool, but wifi and our […]
Read entry →September 5, 2022 · 86 words
Amuse-Bouche
Tesla’s Egg. The first course at Next restaurant, with a menu inspired by the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Nikola Tesla lit the entire fair with electricity, the first time electricity had been used on such a scale. Among the wonders on display was a copper egg suspended above a magnetic field. Here we find a […]
Read entry →August 28, 2022 · 86 words
Chicon Schedule
In a couple days I’ll be flying to Chicago for Chicon 8, this year’s world science fiction convention. Here are my program items: Autographing – Walter Jon Williams, Thursday, 1 September 2022, 14:30 CDT, Autographing Table Talk – Walter Jon Williams, Thursday, 1 September 2022, 17:30 CDT, Crystal FoyerTitl
Read entry →August 23, 2022 · 88 words
To the New City
Here’s the cover of the City on Fire re-issue, again by Hugo-winning artist Elizabeth Leggett. (And I just this minute noticed a problem with it. Anyone else see it?) There have been a number of my books that were difficult to illustrate. I was never satisfied with the covers on the original hardbacks or on […]
Read entry →