Walter Jon Williams's Blog, page 150

True Tale of Christmas Terror!

Youknow, when I was small, there were two things that really scared me. One was the threat of nuclear war, and the other was . . . Christmas trees.
I’d like to think that the fear of nuclear war is self-explanatory. I was raised with air-raid drills and little public-service films, shown to us by our wonderful, caring teachers, that explained what to do if we were accidentally caught outside during a thermonuclear exchange.
Is it any wonder that so many of my generation turned into peaceniks? I...

Sentimental

It’s the time of year when, full of tamales, posole, and eggnog, I tend to get a little sentimental. So here’s a sentimental holiday video for you all.
By which I mean to say:
Happy birthday, Shane MacGowan!
And a tip of the hat to you, Jimmy McNulty, wherever you are . . .

Mad Clown

I’ve been occupied with holiday-type stuff over the last week, visiting with friends who’ve come to town, etc., and I haven’t been doing much posting. (Well, actually, none.)
So in lieu of the clever essay I intended to write, please enjoy this photo of an anemone fish, or clownfish, defending its home. These little guys, only a couple inches long, can be very aggressive, and sometimes they bite hard enough to drawn blood.
I find them pretty hilarious, actually, and their antics are always good...

Reviews in the Nick of Time: The Everlastion of Smaug

This afternoon I saw the second Hobbit movie, the second of three based on a modestly-sized children’s book by JRR Tolkien.
Not surprisingly, there is middle-of-the-trilogy syndrome. The first part set up the characters and situation, and all will be resolved in the third movie; the middle begins no place in particular, and ends on a cliffhanger so you’ll be sure to see what’s next.
Fans of the novel will recognize the scenes with Beorn, the spiders, the Elf King’s jail, the escape via wine bar...

Golden Seahorse

Nag Your Friends Day

It’s Nag Your Friends Day—if, that is, y0u have any friends who would benefit from attending Taos Toolbox, next year’s master class for science fiction and fantasy.
During its six years, Taos Toolbox has generated no less than six Hugo nominations for its graduates. We don’t promise you a Hugo award if you attend, but we will guarantee that your writing will benefit from the expert instruction of Nancy Kress, Ian Tregillis, and yours truly.
So tell your friends to send in their applications! Wh...

Reality Show

It’s Chef Gordon Ramsay vs. the Swedish Chef! A special treat for those of you who, like me, find yourself staring at the television late at night, watching competition shows on the Food Network.
(With a special appearance by Michael Buffer.)

Reviews Too Late: This and That

Flying twice across the Pacific, I had little to do but watch movies and eat peanuts. So I saw alot of movies, many of them last summer’s blockbusters. These are the ones I remember.
Red2: A by-the-numbers action film, with none of the wit and spark of the original. The heroes chase plot coupons for a while, then cash them in at the finale. The actors aretrying, but it doesn’t help. I’m glad I didn’t pay to see it.
Pacific Rim: Oh my God, Guillermo del Toro gave up directing The Hobbit forthis?...

Hippocampus Denise

This— the brighter red thing— is a pygmy seahorse, Hippicampus denise,hiding on a piece of fan coral.
The seahorse is very well camouflaged, as you might gather.
It’s also less than a centimeter long, which makes it rather hard to find.
I have not yet met Denise, after whom it was named.

The Last Great Hero

Nelson Mandela, the last of my great heroes, has passed away.
There’s little I can do to add to the long list of Mandela tributes now being issues across the world, save to add this: he led his country through profound revolutionary change, and he did it without spilling blood.