Ira Glass on storytelling

I just listened to this awesome presentation by Ira Glass, host of This American Life, on the art of storytelling and narrative, and I wanted to share it because it’s that good.  If you haven’t ever heard of This American Life before, do yourself a favor and check it out.  You may or may not… Continue reading Ira Glass on storytelling

Paradise Seekers by Nathan Major

Haven–a land where no one knows who they are, where they’re from, or how they got there.  A place where everyone has a different recurring dream every night, which gradually grows in intensity until it drives them to madness.  A place where everyone has only a short amount of time to find Paradise, before they… Continue reading Paradise Seekers by Nathan Major

Worldcon 2011: Saturday

Alright, I should just write this up and finish my convention report before life sweeps me away completely. Saturday was the main day of the con.  To be honest, I forgot all the panels I went to, except this really awesome one by a guy at NASA on near Earth objects (NEOs).  Holyfreakingcow there are… Continue reading Worldcon 2011: Saturday

Worldcon 2011: Thursday

Wow, the last couple days have been packed with awesome con-stuff, but I’ve got a short break so I thought I’d blog about it. Thursday was great, attended a few panels but mostly just wandered around meeting people.  I’m a little surprised with how many people read this blog.  Got Brandon to sign my Kindle,… Continue reading Worldcon 2011: Thursday

Worldcon 2011: Wednesday

Just a quick update from Renovation before I crash for the night. We left Provo pretty early–about 6:30, actually–and met up with Eric in Eagle Mountain.  The drive to Reno was pretty long, but we had some awesome geeky conversations along the way.  My favorite: how to successfully conduct an alien invasion. So we rolled into… Continue reading Worldcon 2011: Wednesday

Worldcon in T-minus 10, 9, 8…

So I just finished packing for Worldcon, including 4 apples, 1 lb ginger snaps, and enough PBJ material to last the weekend (because fast food is disgusting and expensive).  I’ll be leaving tomorrow at 6:30 am with Cavan to pick up Logan in Orem, then meet up with Eric in Eagle Mountain and head out… Continue reading Worldcon in T-minus 10, 9, 8…

News, a correction, and an awesome AvB remix

Today I was supposed to finish the second draft of Sholpan, but I moved apartments this weekend, so everything got thrown completely out of whack.  I’m all moved into my new place now (with some awesome Quarkie roommates), but Sholpan is going to have to wait until Monday. Fortunately, I’ve only got a couple of… Continue reading News, a correction, and an awesome AvB remix

NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy

In case you didn’t know, NPR just put together a list of the Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels of all time.  The list had a panel of judges who vetted nominations, but the voting was public and turnout–over 60,000–was pretty high. I usually don’t like top 100 lists, but this one did a… Continue reading NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy

The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang

Ana was a washed-up zoologist turned programmer looking for work; Derek was an avatar designer for the Data Earth virtual reality platform.  The thing that brought them together: Blue Gamma Inc., manufacturer of autonomous self-aware AI pets known as digients. Like any pet, each digient requires constant attention as they learn and grow.  Soon, Ana… Continue reading The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang

Should authors respond to reviews?

In the last six days since it went free, “From the Ice Incarnate” has had almost 2,250 downloads, and with so much attention, reviews are starting to trickle in.  Amazon has a very elegant system, which not only allows other readers to vote on whether a review is helpful, but to comment and start a… Continue reading Should authors respond to reviews?