Archive for July, 2007
- Keeping Up with the Kludges • July 30, 2007
The world is shrinking. Products and laws and programs that were once created with tens of thousands of relatively homogeneous white people in Middle America are now being exported all around the world. How are we going to be able to keep up with all the kludges necessary to make things work?
- “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” • July 26, 2007
So the Harry Potter series is over, and I was pretty much right in my predictions. How good was the final book? I'd say "Deathly Hallows" is the third best in the series, behind "Order of the Phoenix" and "Prisoner of Azkaban."
- What Will Happen in the Final Harry Potter? • July 17, 2007
Vizzini: So. It has come down to the final Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Tolkien, Le Guin, Moorcock? Morons!
Man in Black: Really! In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits.
Vizzini: I accept!
Man in Black: All right. Will [...]
- On DeepGenre: The End of Science Fiction • July 13, 2007
I’ve just written a long essay on the DeepGenre blog about how long the genre of science fiction is destined to last and whether we might see the end of it anytime soon. Read “The End of Science Fiction” and post your comments there.
Some excerpts:
Here’s something I’ve noticed about futuristic science fiction stories: the characters [...]
- Politicians and Personal Lives • July 11, 2007
I really get hopping mad at revelations like Larry Flynt's revelations about Senator David Vitter's dalliances with prostitutes. Why? Because I firmly believe that it's none of our fucking business what our politicians do with their personal lives.
- Readercon 18 Report • July 9, 2007
I’ll admit that I’m fairly new to the science fiction con circuit, but having been to Readercon twice now, I have no hesitation crowning it my favorite. The panels are generally high-minded and intellectually stimulating; the guest list is always first-rate; and best of all, there isn’t a single dork with a Klingon outfit or [...]
- My Readercon Schedule • July 5, 2007
This weekend, I’ll be at Readercon 18 in Burlington, Massachusetts. Readercon’s kind of special for me, since last year’s Readercon was my first exposure to the SF con scene. (Read my recap of Readercon 17.)
Last year, I headed off to Readercon knowing literally one person two people in the SF field: my editor, Lou Anders [...]
- Sony VAIO Bloatware • July 2, 2007
Pursuant to my earlier post about all the unnecessary crapware pre-loaded on my new Sony VAIO laptop… I found a way to get a list of all the stuff that Sony loaded this thing up with, above and beyond Windows. You just open the Sony Recovery Center, and click the option to reinstall some of [...]
- My New Sony VAIO Laptop • July 2, 2007
A few days ago, I purchased a brand new Sony VAIO VGN-FZ140E notebook computer from the local Circuit City. It almost matches an Apple MacBook Pro for the coolness factor, even if it does come loaded with tons of unnecessary bloatware.
