Walter Jon Williams's Blog, page 187
February 20, 2012
Reviews Too Late: The Eagle
I finally got around to seeing The Eagle, which was one of two films released in 2011 that dealt with the disappearance of Legio IX Hispania north of Hadrian's Wall sometime around 117 CE. (I offer a brief review of the other film here.) Which just goes to show you that when it's Legio IX Hispania time in Hollywood, it's Legio IX Hispania wherever you look.This is by far the better film, in part because it's based on Rosemary Sutcliffe's The Eagle of the Ninth. I read this classic YA when ...
February 19, 2012
Meet the Billy D
I'm back from D.C. (where I gave a talk on Internet culture to an international audience with more credentials than even I can shake a stick at), but I'm jetlagged and feeling unmotivated and uncommunicative, so instead of me talking, I'll let History do it, and introduce you to the most incompetent warship in the history of the world.The destroyer William D Porter twice opened fire, with live ammunition, on the President of the United States, shelled the house of its base commander while...
February 16, 2012
Where's Walter?
As I mentioned in a previous post, I've left home and currently am in an Undisclosed Location.I don't want to say where I am, but if you'll look at the accompanying photo of innocuous cherry blossoms, you will find that I have inserted a clue into the illustration from which the clever among you may be able to deduce my location.
February 15, 2012
Behold! I Am Interviewed
I'm out of town for a few nights and my posting here may be erratic, so please enjoy this interview on Black Gate, conducted by none other than Emily Mah.
February 14, 2012
Death Narrative
You know, I really don't want to notice this kind of thing, but the story's become so ubiquitous, I can't help but see it. So here's what I see.Whitney Houston died a few days ago. Nobody knows why, and the results from the labs won't be in for a month or more. But that hasn't stopped the media from imposing their own narrative on the story. The narrative of another star personality destroyed by the scourge of drugs.It's such a satisfying story. It's completely satisfying to those parts ...
February 13, 2012
Flock of Swans
On 6 May 2o1o, the Flash Crash hit at 2:45pm and the stock market lost 1000 points in only a few minutes, spurred by frantic sell orders from automated trading systems.Because we haven't seen anything as radical as the Flash Crash before or since, it's been assumed that this sort of thing is fairly rare.A new study by Neil Johnson and his cohorts at Florida University shows that flash crashes— "black swan events"— occur more than once a day on average. 18,520 times between 2006 and 2011.They...
February 12, 2012
Monday Monday
Monday's the official release day for The Fourth Wall, the third in my series featuring game designer Dagmar Shaw. Let's party!Of course you should probably buy the book first. If you can't find it at your local bookstore, then it can be purchased at Amazon and B&N, or in ebook formats via Kindle and Nook.Don't just take my word you should buy this book. From a starred review in Booklist: . . . the blending of mystery-thriller, SF, and traditional Hollywood-story elements is hugely...
Straight From the Toolbox!
Some items concerning Taos Toolbox:First, there are still a few places available in the science fiction and fantasy master class taught by Nancy Kress, Daniel Abraham, and myself. If you think you might want to write this sort of thing professionally, then do the professional thing and apply!Toolbox grad Sean Craven is saying nice things about me, and about the workshop, over on his blog. Check it out for a personal view of the workshop, and for a very personal list of his five favorite...
February 9, 2012
Reviews Too Late: Red Cliff
One quick questions: why are films about the Alamo always boring?
I'll leave you to ponder that while I chat about Red Cliff.Red Cliff was the most expensive film ever made in China, and also produced more Asian box office than any film, ever. Originally it was released as two films in 2008-9, a format that is reproduced on DVD as the "International Edition," which gives us the two films on two DVDs for a total run time of 280 minutes. There is also an American cut that runs a mere 148...
I'll leave you to ponder that while I chat about Red Cliff.Red Cliff was the most expensive film ever made in China, and also produced more Asian box office than any film, ever. Originally it was released as two films in 2008-9, a format that is reproduced on DVD as the "International Edition," which gives us the two films on two DVDs for a total run time of 280 minutes. There is also an American cut that runs a mere 148...
February 8, 2012
Robot Overlord 1.0
Want to buy your own robot fighting machine? iRobot (a corporate name that is bound to interest the Asimov estate) will sell you the 710 Warrior for a mere . . . well, I don't actually know the price.The Warrior 710 is a 450-pound tracked robot that is built for versatility and moving stuff around. It will punch through window glass, climb stairs, haul or push large objects, and has a manipulator hand that will reach around corners and still handle 220-pound objects.My guess it will do...
