Brenda Cooper's Blog, page 39

How is publishing like the tech industry?

Yesterday, I listened to the Sofanauts podcast #30 while I was pulling out spent daises and mushed iris leaves and planting crocus and narcissus. The conversation is an hour and  half long argument where everybody is right.

The moderator was Tony C. Smith of Starship Sofa, guests lined up as Jeff Vandermeer and Jeremy Tolbert on one side (the soaked in internet technoratti) and Sheila Williams and Brian Bieniowski (from the venerable largely print Dell Magazine property Asimov's Science...

Various useful webbishry

First, Seattle Geekly does a great podcast.  As I'm sure you can guess, they talk about all things Seattle that would interest the slightly more – well, geekly (gaming, conventions, science fiction and fantasy, anime, steampunk, other local events).  I listen in when I get time.  Even better, I visited them last week and we recorded a podcast about my newest two books (Reading the Wind out in mass market now, and Wings of Creation out in hardback November 10th).  If you want hardback copies o...

Reading Recommendation: Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest

What's with the googles anyway?

I just finished Boneshakerimgimg[image error]Boneshaker last night.   Cherie Priest did a lovely job of characterization, and fully brought  Briar Wilkes Blue and Ezekial Blue to life on the page.  What she did to Seattle was fairly terrible, but interesting in an alternate fantasy historical fashion.   And she answered my question:  she gave us excellent reasons for goggles and weird guns and many of the other oddities about...

FireGlobal 2009: The Hottest Spot in Seattle?

We may have a new in place to be seen in Seattle.  At the least, we have a new must-see conference, FiRe Global.  Put together by Mark Anderson, FiRe Global has a clear mission:  use technology to help save the world.

Mark has impressive strengths.  For one, he thinks well.  For years he has produced the successful  SNS technology newsletter, and he has racked up a number of "firsts" in prediction, including predicting the current recession.  He is also very good at putting the right people...

Reading Recommendation: Neil Gaiman's "The GraveYard Book"

I really do love Gaiman's work.  I also love his voice.  I tend to get his work in audio, largely because he reads it himself.  This is not something I recommend for most authors, but in this case, there's magic in the way he nuances his work.  The Graveyard Book feels like it's designed for ten-year-old boys, but it was quite fun for this middle-age woman.  It was one of those audio experiences that was good enough you do some extra weeding to listen to more of, ...

Upcoming Event Schedule (Some Changes)

This post is partly for me so I can keep my dates in order.  Well, not really.  But it sure feels like a way-too-busy fall in the near future.  It's all good, but I might just collapse come December or so and hide.

FiRE Global Conference:  October 15th  Wherein I wear all three hats, and am surrounded by people brighter and more accomplished than me, and try to soak up some of the raw capability that will be lying about on the floor and wafting through the halls.  Really – I'm looking forward ...

Futurist Event: FiRE Global

 

Earlier this year, I attended the FiRE conference in San Diego.  It felt like half an almost-typical technology conference (yes, there was a cloud computing session), half a "making the world a better place with technology" and in total, was the best three days I've ever spent on either topic.  Largely, the value was in the people there.  Mark Anderson has assembled a cast of smart people with the resources and desire to do interesting and good things.

Well, the FiRE Conference has birthed a...

Reading Recommendation: Magic in the Blood, by Devon Monk

This is a nice recommendation to make for two reasons.  The book is good, and a long time ago in a writing workshop a long time away, Devon Monk and I spent two weeks in the same writing workshop,  up at three in the morning,  finishing downright daunting writing assignments while dreaming of having our own books published by major New York publishing houses.  And of course, we both do now.  How cool is that?

I'm not at all surprised that Devon's books are downright good either.  She's been...

Reading Recommendation: Greg Bear's Mariposa

Spent the weekend at the beach WITH NO INTERNET and so I'll have three books to recommend.  It was quite lovely.  I'll try for one a day.

I don't why Greg Bear doesn't get more attention for his thrillers.  In my opinion, they have the pacing and skill of a Michael Creighton  or a James Rollins, and they get Greg's deft hand with science as a bonus.

Greg has been one of my favorite SF writers for years.  I have enjoyed his work from Moving Mars through Songs of Earth and Power and EON. 

Interview with Annie Tupek

I met Annie Tupek at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association. I liked her immediately.  She looked curious and happy to be there and interested in the presentations.  We had something in common:  Alaska.  Now, I've only been there once.  But it pretty much knocked my socks off – it's a really pretty place.  And I know a bit since I had an adopted family member there (on the Kenai Peninsula) for two years.  Which means I heard many stories of elk in the yard and cold so severe that...