Harry Connolly's Blog, page 208

Amazon.com/Macmillan f/u

Andrew Wheeler on what it means.

Five things make a post, again

This isn't a randomness post because it's mostly about me.

First: This is an interview with me over at Sci-Fi Bookshelf, a new book review site. Check it out.

Second: You know that trick where people add absurd sub-titles to the scene of Hitler having a tantrum in DOWNFALL? The first person who did it had a brilliant idea. Subsequent versions were mildly funny and a good way to mock other people's sense of entitlement. Now, though, it's played out. Let's stop, okay?

Third: Amazon.com is ...

Settle an argument

There's a certain movie that I think is Awesome Concentrate but that a certain co-worker claims is a piece of crap. I make no claims that it's Oscar-worthy–it's essentially a low-budget B-movie and the first ten minutes are excruciatingly awful–but it's exactly the sort of thing I love.

For those among you who recognize the quote: "Don't worry Dave, all we want to do is kill you," [1:] am I right, or am I right?

[1:] No Googling! I'll know.

ACORN follow-up

Sometime back, I condemned ACORN in my blog because of what the sting operation had revealed about it. It seemed outrageous–almost unbelievable that ACORN volunteers would tell a (supposed) pimp and prostitute how they could hide 13-year-old Salvadoran girls from the authorities when they brought them to be prostituted in the U.S. Frankly, the internet has made me a little cynical (just today I saw a defense of fictionalized pedophilia) and that cynicism made me easy to fool.

Anyway, the...

Five things make a post

1) The changes my agent has asked me to do have turned out to be surprisingly simple. Not easy by any means, and certainly not quick, but not terribly complicated, either. What she's asked me to pare away, unify and change are pretty self-contained as far as the overall plot goes. Except the ending. I'm still thinking about the change to the ending.

2) Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking was a revelation. Rupert Everett's performance in the lead was startling and...

Randomness for 1/28

1) I'm not sure what to call this video clip: GUN FU HUSTLE (Bollywood version)? Whatever you call it, it's delightfully absurd and inventive.

2) Cherie Priest: high priestess of steampunk.

3) Dear News Media: When reporting on polls, please keep in mind…

4) Louis CK — Being White. God, how I laughed.

5) UK government bans export of fake bomb detectors.

6) Ted Haggard's wife Gayle stands by her husband/writes book. Ms. Haggard says that her husband confessed to a sexual encounter with...

Imagine me sighing just before I ask this

Have you ever wanted to just blow off a whole day's worth of crap just so you could do whatever you wanted?

Attention newly published authors!

For authors with recent first-time pro sales, you might want to check your eligibility for a John W. Campbell Award (not-a-Hugo)[1:] by going to this site. Once you've confirmed that you're eligible, you should let the folks running the awards know that by clicking the "Contact Us" link on that same web page.

Good luck!

[1:] That's the full name of the award, yeah?

A quick favor

There's a free casual game that my son really enjoys, called Square Meal. It can be played by two people at once on a single keyboard and it's part puzzle, part monster-fighting. It's pretty innocuous and the strategy is nice.

However, the company that made it had a couple problems making it work properly (which is why there's no link) and I said I wasn't going to play it again. Once through was enough, but kids like to play things several times.

Anyway, there's a poll on their blog to c...

Child of Fire reviews part 10 (plus health care)

Today, I have four copies of Child of Fire wrapped up and addressed for mailing. Two are addressed to my senators, one to my congressional representative, and one is addressed to the president. Included with each book is a nearly-identical letter stating, in essence: This is my work. This is what I do. If we had decent health care reform, I could give my day job to someone else who needs it and write books full time. Pass health care reform, please.

I expect none of them will see the b...