Walter Jon Williams's Blog, page 44

It’s Here! (Apparently)

I’m told that The Best of Walter Jon Williams has started shipping after being delayed a few months by problems at the printer.  It was originally supposed to be out in time for the holidays, and when it was delayed to February I thought it might do very well for a Valentine’s present, but Valentine’s has slipped by, so now . . .Begorrah!  ‘Tis after a fine gift to celebrate St. Paddy’s day, sure!You can order it from your favorite bookstore or dealer, or find it at Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Statuette Time

Hey, wanna give me an award?Nominations for the Hugo are open, though you have to be a member of either this year’s Worldcon or last year’s New Zealand world con in order to vote.Nominations for the Nebula are also open, though only for the next 24 hours or so, and you can nominate only if you’re a SFWA member.In any case, nominating me is easy, because I only had one piece out in 2020, my novel Fleet Elements.While Fleet Elements is eligible to be nominated for Novel if you’re talking Nebu...

Another Shot

We are now a mixed family.  I have the Pfizer shot, and Kathy’s got the Moderna.This morning I was involved in a lengthy series of texts with a friend, and the home phone rang, with SOCORRO MEDICAL very large in the Caller ID slot, so I answered.Was I Kathleen Hedges? they wanted to know.  I said I was not, but could take a message.“Ask her if she would like a COVID vaccination,” the nice lady said.“I think the answer to that would be, ‘Hell, yes!'” I replied.  They happened to have the vacc...

I Am Shot

Got my first COVID shot today. It was a drive-through, all I had to do was hang my shoulder out the car window to get my jab.Then I was obliged to wait 15 minutes in the parking lot to see whether or not I passed out. I didn’t, and so got on the road heading home, only to come very close to passing out a short distance down the road. Fortunately I recovered before crashing the car, after which I drove home very slowly and carefully and had no further trouble.

My Mask Policy

We had no sooner crossed the New Mexico border than a text appeared on my phone telling me that my COVID vaccine awaited me.  So tomorrow I get Jab #1, which I expect will reduce my sense of anxiety.Since returning home I’ve mainly been trying to get my head into the right time zone.  Eastern Time didn’t seem to be working for me.  Every time I tried to work my head kept telling me, “Naw, you got that all wrong.“Strangely enough my leg and back pain was reduced during the trip West.  I suspec...

Peace and Pest

A photo taken from the front porch of our AirBnB near Lonoke (rhymes with Polk), AK.  It was a two-bedroom farmhouse with a generously-sized living room, a working kitchen, and a round King Arthur-sized dining table.  And we had it all to ourselves!And there was Internet.  There is nothing better than a farmhouse with Internet set amid the beauties of nature, because that’s the sort of place where we live most of the time. (Not that our farm grows anything but tumbleweeds.)We drank our coffee...

Desperate Journey

Here you see the Parthenon in snow.If you’ve been paying attention to the international news, you’ll know that Greece and many parts of the Mediterranean have been hit with arctic cold this season about the same time that Texas was, and you may have seen pictures of the Parthenon standing there in a snowfield.This, however, isn’t that Parthenon.  This Parthenon has a roof, and the statues in the pediment haven’t been plundered and carried off to England.  This is the Parthenon in Nashville, TN...

Sixty Years

In preparation for this year’s Chinese and American landings, the BBC offers an enlightening video of the last 60 years of Mars landings.

Parading

Hey, it’s Mardi Gras time, and there’s no better way to lighten your lockdown spirits than to get down with some fine New Orleans music!First up, get your buzz on with “If You’re a Viper” by Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers, part of the Jam in the Van series.Next up, it’s Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue taking on the Cab Calloway classic, “St. James Infirmary Blues.”  You might recognize some of the folks in his audience. Playing 2nd trombone behind him is Fred Wesley, who used to play...

To Be Seen

It’s a busy weekend hereabouts.  First up on Thursday night, 8:30 Eastern Standard Time, I’ll be interviewed live on Youtube by Matthew Yancik, where I’ll tell stories about RPGs and the creative process. Here’s your link.The rest of the weekend will be spent at (virtual) Boskone, where I will appear on quite a lot of programming.  Below are a list of my events.  The times are Eastern Time.Here’s a link to the whole schedule.Creating Across Media Format: Panel

12 Feb 2021, Friday 17:00 – 18:0...