Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 316

April 24, 2017: My Favorite Genre Short Stories of 2016

Yesterday, I offered up a list of My Favorite Genre Novelettes of 2016.

Today I’d like to offer up a list of My Favorite Genre Short Stories of 2016.

Of the roughly 200 stories I read last year, these were, in my humble opinion, the Top 30.

I’ve included a short synopsis and links to an online reading copy. You may also want to consider purchasing the issues outright (or, better yet, subscribing!). And, if you’re interested in further reading, I would heartily recommend RockStackRank, a site that offers up monthly aggregate ratings for works in the categories of short stories, novelettes, and novellas.

“Salvage Opportunity” by Jack Skillingstead (Clarkesworld #114) – SF

Badar has a 4-year contract sits all alone at a salvage site on Kepler-186f.  – RocketStackRank

“The Governess with a Mechanical Womb” by Leena Likitalo (Clarkesworld #114) – Post Apocalyptic

Agneta and her little sister, Saga, are among the last human survivors. The invading aliens have assigned a modified human “governess” to watch over them. – RockStackRank

“Into the Wreck” by June Oldfather (Strange Horizons – February 22nd, 2016) – SF

A human science team studies the colossal wreck of an alien spacecraft. – RocketStackRank

“The Artificial Bees” by Simon Guerrier (Uncanny #9) – SF

Randall, a robot, investigates an unfamiliar place: a home garden.  RocketStackRank

“Not a Wardrobe, Tornado, or Looking Glass” by Jeremiah Tolbert (Lightspeed Magazine #69) – Fantasy

Ellie used to travel freely to the other world, but lately her door doesn’t work. In fact, all the portals are broken for some reason. – RocketStackRank

“Blessed are Those Who Have Seen and Do Not Believe” by D.K. Thompson (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #91) – Magical Steampunk

Elijah is dying of tuberculosis in a London where Darwin discovered spirits, not evolution. He and a vampire friend descend into the underground to look for a cure. – RocketStackRank

“In Skander, For a Boy” by Chaz Brenchley (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #91) – High Fantasy

Having no heir, King Rulf sends Harlan, his most trusted adviser, to find the son of the king he overthrew 20 years ago. – RocketStackRank

“We Have A Cultural Difference, Can I Taste You?” by Rebecca Ann Jordan (Strange Horizons – April 18th, 2016) – SF

Filo/Gee, an intelligent giant amoeba, isn’t the ideal college roommate, particularly since he experiences the world through touching and tasting, which is hard on books, electronics, and relationships. – RocketStackRank

“1957” by Stephen Cox (Apex Magazine #84) – SF Horror

Daniel is 17, attends a British boys school, and is very happy except in those moments when he remembers a very different life. – RocketStackRank

“Blameless” by Jeffrey Ford (A Natural History of Hell – Stories)

A couple are invited over to a neighbor’s daughter’s exorcism. (Small Beer Press) – New Weird Horror

“Life in Stone, Glass, and Plastic” by Jose Pablo Iriarte (Strange Horizons – June 13th, 2016) – Contemporary Fantasy

Sergio is called to remove an offensive mural, but when he touches it, it makes him “remember” things from other people’s lives. – RocketStackRank

“A Good Home” by Karin Lowachee (Lightspeed Magazine #73) – SF

A disabled human veteran takes in a disabled AI veteran. The AI doesn’t talk anymore due to trauma, but Tawn tries to get through to it, even though his mother thinks it’s dangerous. – RocketStackRank

“Binaries” by S.B. Divya (Lightspeed #73) – SF

The narrator describes his life in exponential steps. – RocketStackRank

“Cuckoo Girls” by Douglas F. Warrick (Apex Magazine #85) – Horror

Nikki and Samantha are on the run from luminous monsters that are trying to kill them–and anyone they care about who’s near them.  – RocketStackRank

“Lullaby For A Lost World” by Aliette De Bodard (Tor.com) – Horror

Charlotte’s sacrifice kept the forces of chaos at bay, but only for a while, and in her grave, she grows resentful. – RocketStackRank

“Against the Stream” by A Que (Clarkesworld #118) – Time Travel

An “illness” causes a man to wake each morning in the previous day, and as he lives his life backwards, he sees the mistakes he made. – RocketStackRank

“The One Who Isn’t” by Ted Kosmatka (Lightspeed Magazine #74) – SF

A woman appears to be helping a child recover from some form of brain damage. His perceptions and memory are off, but something is off about her too. – RocketStackRank

“The Assassin’s Secret” by Adam Troy-Castro (Lightspeed #75) – Fantasy

The world’s greatest assassin sits in his lair, waiting for people to come to him to beg his assistance. – RocketStackRank

“The Gentleman of Chaos” by A. Merc Rustad (Apex Magazine #87) – High Fantasy

An immortal assassin threatens the new king, so he has his sister trained as the ultimate bodyguard. – RocketStackRank

“The Engines Imperial” by Sean Bensinger (Clarkesworld #119) – Fantasy SF

The starship Rook returns to the system to mourn her sister starship, who died there 10,000 years ago. – RocketStackRank

“Rooms Formed of Neurons and Sex” by Ferrett Steinmetz (Uncanny Magazine #12) – Near-Future SF

Lydia’s boyfriend, Ross, was just a brain in a jar. So how, exactly, did she injure him during sex? – RocketStackRank

“Of Sight, Of Mind, Of Heart” by Samantha Murray (Clarkesworld #122) – SF

You adopt an android baby. You name him Ben. He grows amazingly fast. – RocketStackRank

“Afrofuturist 419” by Nnedi Okorafor (Clarkesworld #122) – SF

Nigerian astronaut Abacha Tunde has been abandoned in space since 1990 and he would appreciate some help getting home. – RocketStackRank

“Every Day Is The Full Moon” by Carlie St. George (Lightspeed Magazine #79) – Slipstream

B’s werewolf dad beats her, but what really gets her down is she hasn’t become supernatural like her friends have. – RocketStackRank

“A Salvaging of Ghosts” by Aliette De Bodard (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #195) – Space Opera

Thuy seeks her daughter’s remains in the twisted parts of unreal space where salvagers pick over the remains of wrecked starships. – RocketStackRank

“Terminal” by Lavie Tidhar (Tor.com) – SF

A vast fleet of “jalopies” carry individuals on a one-way trip from Earth to Mars. People do it for different reasons, some of which we learn about in this story. – RocketStackRank

“The Savannah Liar’s Tour” by Will McIntosh (Lightspeed Magazine #68) – Urban Fantasy

In the near future, Ben uses cryosleep for a side-effect: while he’s under, he can meet his dead wife. Trouble is, he has a new wife. – RocketStackRank

“Secondhand Bodies” by JY Yang (Lightspeed #68) – SF

Agatha wants a svelte replacement for her plump body, but since she can’t get one grown in a reasonable time, she looks into an illegal swap. – RocketStackRank

“Two’s Company” by Joe Abercrombie (Tor.com) – High Fantasy

A warrior woman and a thief fleeing from the south meet a male warrior fleeing from the north in the middle of a bridge. Then it gets complicated. – RocketStackRank

“Blood Grains Speak Through Memories” by Jason Sanford (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #195)- SF

Frere-Jones controls the nanobot “grains” that help protect the ecology in the bit of land she “anchors.” She’s come to view the grains as a tyranny, but there doesn’t seem to be much she can do about it. – RocketStackRank

Tagged: A Que, A. Merc Rustad, Adam-Troy Castro, Aliette De Bodard, Best Genre Short Stories of 2016, Best Short Stories of 2016, Carlie St. George, Chaz Brenchley, D.K. Thompson, Douglas F. Warrick, Ferrett Steinmetz, J.Y. Yang, Jack Skillingstead, Jason Sanford, Jeffrey Ford, Jeremiah Tolbert, Joe Abercrombie, Jose Pablo Iriarte, June Oldfather, Karin Lowachee, Lavie Tidhar, Leena Likitalo, Nnedi Okorafor, Rebecca Ann Jordan, S.B. Divya, Samantha Murray, Sean Bensinger, Simon Guerrier, Stephen Cox, Ted Kosmatka, Will McIntosh

April 23, 2017: My Favorite Genre Novelettes of 2016!

It’s that time of year again, the time of year that the various big name genre awards start generating their list of nominees.  As a fairly prolific reader, I’m often left bewildered and genuinely annoyed at some of the titles that make – and, often, do NOT make – these lists.  So much so that, two years ago, I decided to start my very own genre awards (The Rogue Star Awards right here on this blog) to recognize the overlooked gems and standout novels, novelettes, short stories, and comic books that I, personally, enjoyed over the course of the previous year.  It’s just one guy’s opinion but, when all is said and done, the  opinion of a guy who reads significantly more than 95% of the people voting in those other awards.

Anyway, today I’d like to offer up a list of My Favorite Genre Novelettes of 2016.

Of the roughly 50 novelettes I read last year, these were, in my humble opinion, the Top 7.

I’ve included a short synopsis and links to an online reading copy.  You may also want to consider purchasing the issue outright (or, better yet, subscribing!).  And, if you’re interested in further reading, I would heartily recommend RockStackRank, a site that offers up monthly aggregate ratings for works in the categories of short stories, novelettes, and novellas.

2016’s Top 7 Novelettes

In the Midst of Life by Nick Wolven (Clarkesworld #113) – SF

“In a rude, career-ending memo to his boss, Doug recounts a disaster that occurred on a company property in Indonesia when they tried to evict a group of squatters and their charismatic leader.” – RocketStackRank

Chains by A. J. Hartley (Tor.com) – Steampunk

“Anglet is an indentured laborer working on a suspension bridge. Sir William sees something in her, and wants to pay off her indenture and give her better work.” – RocketStackRank

Teenagers From Outerspace by Dale Bailey (Clarkesworld #119) – Historical SF

“In 1955, Nancy’s best friend Ellen dates a bad boy who introduces her to Bug Town, where aliens live. Nothing is the same after that.” – RocketStackRank

Once More into the Abyss by Dennis Danvers (Tor.com) – Contemporary SF

“Stan is sure he’s an alien, or at least that his parents were, and he’s happy to accompany his wife to the abyss, an archaeological site out west associated with aliens.” RocketStackRank

The Art of Space Travel by Nina Allan (Tor.com) – SF/Mainstream

“The crew of the new Mars mission are coming to the hotel where Emily works, and her mom is starting to say strange things about her involvement with the last Mars mission.” RocketStackRank

A Deeper Green by Samantha Murray (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #205) – Fantasy

“The colony can’t tolerate assault, and it depends on Juvianna’s gift of making people forget crime and motivation alike. But what if she used it preventively?” RocketStackRank

Extraction Request by Rich Larson (Clarkesworld #112)  – Military SF Horror

“Elliot’s squad of convict-soldiers crash-lands in the middle of a swamp far away from help. Extracting them doesn’t seem to be a priority, but something seems to be wrong with the swamp.” RocketStackRank

Tagged: A Deeper Green, A.J. Hartley, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Best Genre Novelettes of 2016, Best Novelettes 2016, Chains, Clarkesworld, Dale Bailey, Dennis Danvers, Extraction Request, In the Midst of Life, Nick Wolven, Nina Allan, Once More into the Abyss, Rich Larson, Rock Stack Rank, Samantha Murray, Teenagers From Outerspace, The Art of Space Travel, Tor.com

April 22, 2017: Jodelle is back in town! Oh, wait! She never left!

My phone started buzzing at approximately 7:30 a.m.  I was, of course, still sleeping off last night’s Dark Matter season 3 wrap party and in no mood to get up, much less answer – but something told me it, maybe, wasn’t a wrong number. I reached up, grabbed my cell, and checked the number on the call display.  Jodelle Ferland.

Jodelle?  Wasn’t she supposed to be on a flight to Denver?  What the heck was going on?

Well, it turned out she had gone to the airport to catch her flight, ended up in the wrong line, discovered she was in the wrong line, tried to find someone to help her but either a) couldn’t find anyone or b) was roundly ignored (coincidentally, by the very same Air Canada employee who was rude to her the last time she flew out of Toronto).  By the time she figured things out, she’d missed the cut off for boarding and so, was forced to reschedule to the next available flight – tomorrow morning!

Stranded at the airport, the production offices closed, unsure of what to do, she decided to throw a Hail Mary – and gave me a call.

“You’re like a homestay dad,”Akemi observed as  I jumped out of bed, got dressed and headed out the, while she got started on cleaning up the apartment, spurred at the prospect of having Jodelle crash in our guest room tonight.

On the way to the airport, I was able to book Jodelle the last available room at the hotel next door.

Toronto’s Pearson Airport is a maze and, unlike other airports, offers no real directions to an ARRIVALS section.  No signage or instructions on their website.  I attempted to call for information but was put on hold.  And so, instead, I pulled into Terminal 1, section A, called Jodelle, and waited for her to find her way.

When she finally found me, she was clearly exhausted.  “Welcome back to Toronto!”I said, greeting her with a big hug.  We popped her luggage in the back of the SUV and we were on our way!

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Poor Jodelle.  I checked her into her room, then headed back up to my place where I watched Bruce McDonald’s director’s cut of Episode 312 (the recently titled “My Final Gift To You”).  A slew of secrets revealed in this one – and plenty of surprises to boot!

On the one hand, Jodelle had a miserable morning, missed her flight, and was operating on about an hour’s sleep.  On the bright side, she got to join Akemi, Ivon Bartok, Jason Priestley and I for dim sum!

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If there’s one thing Jason loves, it’s dim sum.  And we made sure to cover all the bases: pork buns, spring rolls, daikon mocha, shrimp dumplings and even a vegetarian noodle dish for Jodelle that arrived after we’d all eaten way too much.

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From there, it was a short walk over to a Daits, a little shop on the basement level of a nearby mall.  The specialty – dates!  Surprised?  They’re imported from Saudi Arabia and come in a variety of flavors – almond butter stuffed, pistachio-crusted, covered in dark chocolate and adorned with gold leaf.  There’s also Akemi’s favorite, the crispy florentine, she calls “Pachi Pachi” because, well, that’s what it feels like when you chew it.  We got a dozen to share and a mix – despite the woman’s attempts to hard-sell the pistachio and the ones with the candied ginger inside.

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We parted ways with Jason and Ivon, then headed back to our place where Jodelle got to say hi to the dogs.  Lulu, for one, was glad she’d missed her morning flight and immediately staked claim to her lap.

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We headed downstairs where we met up with my longtime friend and writer/story editor Anne-Marie Perrotta and her husband Jerome before heading over to SOMA Chocolates for ice cream and –

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For Jodelle, an affogato (coconut sorbet and espresso).

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By that time it was a little past 3 p.m. and those dinners plans we’d made seemed most unlikely.  We were all stuffed. We couldn’t eat another bite.  Until we walked by Starbucks and saw a sign for their limited Unicorn Frappuccino.

“Do you want one?”I asked Jodelle.

“No,”she said.  “But I WOULD try one.”

Close enough!

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Jodelle samples the Unicorn.  And likes what she tastes.

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In fact, both Akemi and Jodelle gave it the thumbs up.  I, on the other hand, didn’t like the frappuccino’s underlying sourness – no doubt a result of its unicorn milk component.

Tonight, we cap things off with tea and a screening of some Dark Matter production cuts!  And, tomorrow, Jodelle should be on her way.

Hopefully.

April 21, 2017: Dark Matter Costume Designer Noreen Landry Answers Your Questions!

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Today, I turn this blog over to Dark Matter Costume Designer Noreen Landry who not only happens to be an incredible talent but, really, one of my very favorite people to work with.  Her costume meetings are always the highlight of any given prep week and I honestly can’t imagine doing the show without her and her amazing team.

On to her fan Q&A…

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Ponytail writes: “For the lovely Noreen Landry, I’d like to know: Where do you get your ideas for the costumes?”

NL: Hi Ponytail, Thanks for your question.

My ideas for the costumes come from the wonderful scripts. I have made a point not to see any other Sci Fi movies or TV shows while I am on Dark Matter. I want the first images to be created from the script, not outside influences. Next step is research and more research, images, fabrics, more photos, and then usually the ideas come when I am driving or walking. I sketch my ideas with pastels and markers.

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“How old were you when you learned to sew?”

NL: I learned to pattern draft and sew when I studied fashion design in the mid 80’s. On Dark Matter, I have a talented sewing room headed by the very gifted cutter, Anita, and my lead sewer, Jane, so I do not sew myself.

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“What is your favorite color to work with? (I’m guessing black)”

NL: My favorite color….oh my I love all colors. Every color creates a feeling, sets a tone. Dark Matter’s palette does revolve around a lot of black grey and very muted tones.

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“Would you rather design for a male or female character? “

NL: It really doesn’t matter if it’s male or female characters. I enjoy it all.

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Rascilion writes: “”I had a question about Five’s normal ship-side costumes. Why does she wear clothing that looks contemporary to 2016, as opposed to the rest of the cast that has a generally more futuristic aesthetic? What inspired this somewhat anachronistic look?””

NL: Hi Rascilon. When I read the 1st script, the image of 5 came to me as color, lots of color. S he was the heart of our world, a character easy to connect to in a world of mistrust and confusion. The contemporary colorful costumes just added to this sense of the familiar and trust.

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MaggieL80 writes: “”For Noreen:First show you ever worked on?”

NL: Hi Maggie. The first show I work on was Counterstrike starring Christopher Plummer.

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“Favorite costume that you have designed for Dark Matter?”

NL: My favorite costume yikes that’s hard. I can’t answer it.

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“What does your closet look like?”

NL: My closet is a mess…I love clothes way too much.

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“Favorite shoes?”

NL: I love by boots.

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gildermcc writes: “Hi, Noreen! Volunteer creator, former wannabe designer, here. Give me a shout if you need a quick crocheted cap or scarf…”

NL: Hi gildermcc. Right now, I do not need anything crocheted, but you never know what the future holds.

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April 20, 2017: Announcing the Dark Matter Aftershow – After Dark!

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How much does the gang at Syfy International love Dark Matter and Dark Matter fandom?  So much that they were at the studio all this week, prepping and shooting an aftershow, After Dark, that will premiere following our season 3 premiere on all Syfy International channels.

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As a participant in the After Dark segments for our first two episodes, I was required to be in hair & make-up for 8:00 a.m. sharp.  After Renee Chan (Key Hair) transformed my run-of-the-mill hairstyle into a true t.v. do, Dorota Mitoraj (Asst. Make-Up) made me t.v.-ready.  Pictured above, Dorota shows off her work.

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Fellow Episode 301 After Dark guest Anthony Lemke (THREE) shows off his fresh new look – and drops off three boxes of donuts for the crew.  What a guy!

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Each episode of After Dark will be hosted by Zoie Palmer (Android) and include varied guests – like Anthony Lemke and Rich Edwards, editor of SFX magazine.

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A is for Android.

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Overseeing today’s action was Kristin Mente (Production Manager, NBC Universal) and the rest of the Syfy International team.

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Lots of coverage.

After the first After Show segment, I was asked to record a promo for our fans watching on SyfyDE.  This time, it was ME who was receiving direction.  “Can you say Hi Germany so it doesn’t sound like a question?”was my favorite. Hello?  Germany???

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An impromptu meeting of the Dark Matter Whiskey Club.

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For the second After Dark instalment, Jodelle Ferland (FIVE) took Anthony’s spot on the couch.  And were also joined by Syfy Wire’s Tricia Ennis.

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The Episode 302 aftershow also included a segment guest-starring Suji that may or may not make the cut on account of her unpredictability.  On the bright side, at least she didn’t poop on set.

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The little diva patiently awaits her big scene.

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Spoiler alert!  Preview pics of The Raza’s newest crew member.

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Finally, a huge thank you to the team from Syfy International.

Catch After Dark immediately following all new episodes of Dark Matter this June!

Tagged: #AfterDark, #DarkMatter, After Dark, Dark Matter

April 19, 2017: That’s a wrap on Dark Matter season 3 – Day 93 of 93!

Well, that’s it!  That’s a wrap on Dark Matter season 3.  Finally, a well-earned rest for our tireless cast and crew.

But there’ll be no respite for yours truly.  I have still two more edits, a handful of mixes, a season’s worth of music notes to get through and, starting immediately, a brand new season to plan, arc out, and break.   I have three weeks in Toronto and then another three weeks in Vancouver in which to put together my game plan and then the writers’ room reconvenes on June 12th (three days after our double-episode season premiere June 9th at 8:00 p.m.!).

Before that, however, there’s this Friday’s wrap party.

And before Friday’s wrap party, there’s a little Dark Matter special feature I’ll be helping the gang at Syfy International put together for you tomorrow.

Oh, and before I forget – we have a new episode title!

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“Episode 38: My Final Gift To You”

Ooooh.  Sounds ominous.  And maybe a little sad?

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Season 3 finale director Ron Murphy in action.

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The green screen set-up for the big reveal.  Tracking marks for the SLOW PUSH.

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Snackington leads the charge on the empanada front.

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Setting up the last shot.

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The final shot of Dark Matter’s third season.

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The last official meeting of the Dark Matter Whiskey Club (Elliot, Norman, Alison, Paul, and Robbie).

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We proudly maintain our 17 bottles/season pace.

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Thumbs up from Anthony Lemke (THREE).  We’re good to go!  Home.

I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished this season and can’t wait for you to see it!

A HUGE thank you to our incredible cast and crew.  Hope to see you all again later this year for season 4!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

April 18, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 92 of 93! Vote for a new episode title!

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Plotting my next move aboard The Raza.  Why, yes, those ARE ninja cat socks.  (Photo by Roger Cross)

Okay, gang.  Pull up your socks and get ready to vote.  We have two more episode titles to choose before season’s end.  Today, we pick a title of Episode 312, our penultimate shocker.  Your choices are…

Take Our Poll

Polls will remain open for 24 hours.  Vote away!

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Another Raza triptych tease courtesy of Playback Operator Greg Whiteside.   Can you identify this classic movie?

Tomorrow, it all comes to a close as we wrap production on Dark Matter’s third season!

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Finally, today’s blog is dedicated to Birthday Girl Akemi!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

April 17, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 91 of 93!

I received a few comments after yesterday’s blog entry in which I considered early retirement to Tokyo once Dark Matter ends.  Ideally, in such a scenario, that would be two years from now after the show’s fifth and final season (although certain cast members have already started lobbying for an SG-1-like 10 year run). There is, of course, the possibility of another series (or two) in my future.  My military SF pilot is in play and I am actively pursuing the opportunity to revive two classic scifi shows I used to watch as a kid.  It’s all very preliminary, but any of the aforementioned would be fantastic projects.  Still, in the end, if none of them pan out and Dark Matter is my swan song, I’m satisfied with the mark I’ll have left on SF television – with over 350 hours  of produced scifi television to my credit and 100+ hours as a credited writer.  All in all, not bad for a comic/anime/SF geek whose Halloween ensembles included Han Solo, Wolverine, and Captain James T. Kirk.

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Today, we were shooting in the Ferrous Corp lab.  Another amazing set by Production Designer Ian Brock and his team.

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I need these screens for my office.

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Alexandra Ordolis as Dr. Silas (photo by Renee Chan).

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Nyx stunt double Brianna Goldie moonlights on the Ferrous Corp shipyard.

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More early goodbyes! Last day for AD and fellow book enthusiast Natalie.

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And also for Sound department’s Drew Williams who is, understandably, saddened at the prospect of turning in his boom and doing a slow Charlie Brown shuffle into the sunset.

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And a first and final sitdown in post with my old pal David Thompson, a fantastic editor.

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Uh, guys!  She’s right behind me, isn’t she?

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

April 16, 2017: Sunday musings!

Daddy’s home!!!!

(Sorry.   Akemi took it portrait for instal-story.  Whatever that is.)

Exchanged emails with my prospective real estate agent in Vancouver.  Apparently, following a brief downturn, the market is picking back up.  Once again, we’re in for another round of “Should I or Shouldn’t I?”.  If we get that fourth season pick-up, it would make a whole lot of sense to just sell the house in Van, move to Toronto through, hopefully, the end of season 5, and then consider our options then.  The prospect of buying a condo in Japan becomes increasingly possible.  To be honest, the only thing holding me back are the dogs (having to take that cross-Pacific 10 hour journey).  That and the fact that my writing/producing opportunities may be somewhat…scanter there.  UNLESS I switch over to writing novels.  Maybe a tea cozy mystery series about a retired school teacher and her pet pug?  It practically writes itself!

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Happy Easter Sunday!

April 15, 2017: Dark Matter Dinner and Drinks!

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Dinner at Lee Restaurant: Akemi, Jodelle, Mackenzie, Melissa, Ivon, and Roger.

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Lee’s signature 19 ingredient salad – minus the cilantro for Akemi, which puts it at 18.

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Out for drinks with Mackenzie, Melissa, and Alex.

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Alex’s science experiment cocktail.

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My $45 cocktail was served under a glass cloche surrounded by smoking wood chips.

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Inside, a hand-chipped ice ball.    I dunno.  I’m still more of a hot chocolate guy.

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Jodelle looking inexplicably Irish as she samples someone’s drink.

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Melissa in awe.

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Awww.  Best of friends, on screen and off.

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A rare picture of Akemi and I – photographed through the bottom of Alex’s water glass.