August 2008

World in the Satin Bag

Science Fiction Meme

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This meme apparently was on SF Signal at some point, but I found it here. Consider yourself tagged! Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?Science fiction and fantasy, rarely horror. It’s hard for me to choose. I love science fiction very much, but I also happen to enjoy fantasy quite a bit too. I’ve read some amazing fantasy novels in my life and I did start with fantasy when I started reading more, mostly because science fiction seems so difficult to me for a long while. Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?Mass market, but only because they’re smaller and I feel like I’ve accomplished more reading each sitting. Heinlein or Asimov?I’ve read little Heinlein, though I plan to read more. So, Asimov. Amazon or Brick and Mortar?Brick and Mortar. Amazon doesn’t give the same browsing experience. Barnes & Noble or Borders?Borders. They have a FREE rewards card, and there isn’t a B&N here. B&N tends to be more organized and has more discount books (and a better selection for discount stuff too), but their rewards card sucks. Hitchhiker or Discworld?Hitchhiker. Bookmark or Dogear?Bookmark. Dogearing books should be illegal. How would you like it if I dogeared our arm when I wanted to pause while examining you? Exactly. Magazine: Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction?F&SF, because I’ve never read Asimov’s. Alphabetize by author Alphabetize by title or random?Depends. On my “to read” shelf it’s random, but everything else is supposed to be alphabetical (it’s out of order right now, though). Keep, Throw Away or Sell?Keep if I like it enough that I’ll re-read it, or sell it if I don’t. Year’s Best Science Fiction series (edited by Gardner Dozois) or Years Best SF series (edited by David G. Hartwell)?No preference, to be honest. Keep dustjacket or toss it?It came with the book. It stays. Read with dustjacket or remove it?Leave it on most of the time (unless it’s easy to tear, in which case it is removed). Short story or novel?Both. I like shorts a little better because they are short, but novels tend to be deeper. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?Harry Potter. Never read Snicket and don’t really want to. The movie did nothing for me. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?Depends. Either or. “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?Once upon at time…both are horribly cliche, though. Buy or Borrow?Buy. I’ll borrow sometimes, but rarely. Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse?A combination of all of them. I buy more books via browsing though. I rarely buy or ead anything that is shoved down my throat, though. So if you want me to read something, stop pestering me about it. Lewis or Tolkien?I like Lewis’ writing style better, but Tolkien does have the advantage of a thoroughly fascinating world. Hard SF or Space Opera?Both, and even more so when they are combined. I love merged genres. Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)?Both. Hugo or Nebula?Doesn’t really matter. I buy a book because it sounds interesting, not because it won an award. Golden Age SF or New Wave SF?Both, duh. Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?Absolutely no cliffhangers unless there is a book that follows immediately after. Tidy endings can be a little annoying if they’re too tidy. Leave a couple things unanswered with certainty. Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading?I read whenever I have a moment to spare for reading. Standalone or Series?Both are great, although superb standalones beat a series any day. Urban fantasy or high fantasy?High fantasy unless the urban fantasy is something not involving vampires or werewolves. New or used?Both. Sometimes you have no choice but to get used. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?The Steam Magnate by Dana Copithorne. It’s good. Read it. Now. Or else. Top X favorite genre books read last year? (Where X is 5 or less)In no particular order:The Steam Magnate by Dana CopithorneCrystal Rain by Tobias S. BuckellRagamuffin by Tobias S. BuckellSpin State by Chris MoriartyLeven Thumps and the Whispered Secret by Obert Skye Top X favorite genre books of all time? (Where X is 5 or less)I’ll be honest, these five are just going to be “top 5 favorites that I can think of right now”. My top 5 changes quote a lot, to be honest. A top five list for me is really rather pointless. This should be a top 100 or something.Peeps by Scott Westerfeld1984 by George OrwellSly Mongoose by Tobias S. BuckellEon by Greg BearOld Man’s War by John Scalzi X favorite genre series? (Where X is 5 or less)Tobias S. Buckell’s scifi series (not sure what you call it, but they’re all good)Karen Miller’s Innocent Mage/Awakened Mage series.Leven Thumps by Obert SkyeDiane Duane’s Young Wizards (So You Want to Be a Wizard, etc.)Susan Beth Pfeffer’s series (Life As We Knew It and the dead & the gone) Top X favorite genre short stories? (Where X is 5 or less)“Call Me Joe” by Poul Anderson“Sandkings” by George R. R. MartinWork by Paul Melko and Zoran Zivkovic“The People’s Republic of the Edelwiess Village Putt-Putt Golf Course” by M. K. Hobson Currently Reading?Honeycomb by Israel Del Rio

World in the Satin Bag

New Fiction Markets

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Two new SF fiction markets, which look like they’re going to be awesome. First we have Federations from John Joseph Adams: Genres: Science Fiction only. Original fiction only, no reprints.Payment: 5 cents per word ($250 max), plus a pro-rata share of the anthology’s earnings and 1 contributor copy.Word limit: 5000 words. (Stories may exceed 5000 words, but $250 is the maximum payment per story, and stories 5000 words or less are strongly preferred.)Rights: First world English rights, non-exclusive world anthology rights, and non-exclusive audio anthology rights. See my boilerplate author-anthologist contract, which spells out the rights in detail.Reading Period: November 1-January 1, 2009Response Time: Most rejections will be sent out quickly, but stories that I like may be held until January 31 before a final decision is made.Publication date: May 2009Publisher: Prime BooksSubmission Instructions: Email your story in rich-text format (RTF) to John Joseph Adams at federations.anthology@gmail.com. Include the title of the story and your byline in the subject line of the email. I’ll be writing something for this one once I can think of a story interesting. Looks like something right up my alley though. Then there is Footprints from Jay Lake. I’ll try thinking up something for this, but no guarantees. Right now all I have are humorous ideas, which might work. Can’t copy and paste for some reason, so you’ll just have to click the link. Ther you go!

World in the Satin Bag

Application Sent

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Well, I just send my application/resume to Cat Rambo to be a slush reader for Fantasy Magazine. Keeping my fingers crossed because I’d really like to work with her. We’ll see what happens I suppose. If I’m lucky she’ll go “wow, that guy is really cool” and choose me, but that relies on certain things in this world that make no sense…like the icecapades. Anywho! (Don’t click the read more, there isn’t any more after this!)

World in the Satin Bag

Jacques Fresco and the Utopia

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This video is really rather cool. This guy has been drawing ideas for future habitats in the ocean. And they are cool. Just watch. The guy knows how to make a neat looking place, that’s for sure. Don’t click the read more, there isn’t any more after this!)

World in the Satin Bag

Kurt Vonnegut Video

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He’ll be missed, that’s for sure. Seemed like a fun guy, even at 83. The video below talks about his work and his life. It cuts off, but his statements are fantastic nonetheless. Enjoy! NOW | A Tribute To Kurt Vonnegut | PBSUploaded by pbs_usa (Don’t click the read more, there isn’t any more after this!)

World in the Satin Bag

The Terrorists of Santa Cruz

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Some of you know who I’m talking about, and some of you don’t. For those that live in Santa Cruz or attend UCSC, you’re probably aware of the actions described in this article of the SC Sentinel. And I have something to say about this, because, quite honestly, the biggest problem with Santa Cruz as a city is that its citizens and its government don’t care enough to say anything. Warning, there will be harsh language from this point on. Tune out if you don’t want to hear it… To those people who call themselves freedom fighters, animal rights activists, environmentalists, etc: fuck you. Those of you who seek to achieve results through violence are terrorists. You are no better than the people who drove two planes into the two towers on September 11th, 2001. You are no better than the folks responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing or the numerous attacks on the World Trade Center prior to 9/11. You are no better than Hitler, Stalin, or anyone who has ever sought to rule the world through terror and destruction. You are no better than the individuals who rape, murder, and otherwise terrorize the innocent in this country or elsewhere. You are all hypocritical pieces of shit who do not deserve to even be called human, because your actions are despicable, unacceptable, and horrid.You seek to achieve liberation of animals by attacking researchers and their families…families who are, by default, INNOCENT, who have done nothing wrong whatsoever. What exactly do you think will become of this? Will we stop testing on animals? No, in fact, you’re making some folks support the industry even more. The fact is, we are all guilty of what you hate so much about your fellow man. You too have benefited from testing on animals. Vaccines, medicines, etc. All of these things you have used at some point in your life. In fact, even to step into a hospital is to support the very thing you despise. Without animal testing we would not have cures for the diseases that plague us. Would you be so quick to condemn millions if not billions of innocent people to death so we can become like you?The problem is, I don’t fucking want to be like you. I like the taste of cow. I like chicken and pig and other animals. Their meat tastes good to me. I won’t stop eating them because you don’t like the way they are being treated. I won’t stop eating them if you threaten my life or bomb homes with children in them. You have to accept that people are not going to be like you, not without you taking control of the entire world, which will not happen without a fight of some sort. And people will lose their lives in that fight, yours and ours. Millions will die as you attempt to rule the world like the fascist pigs that you are. You may have entirely valid reasons for wanting to fight, but that does not give you the right to attack people at their homes, nor does it give you the right to kill or destroy public or government property. Remember, when you destroy things that belong to UC Santa Cruz, it comes out of the pockets of ALL STUDENTS. Everyone pays because of that. And because of you, now the UC will have to tighten security and make the lives of students more difficult, all because you are unwilling to fight for what you believe in in a manner that is acceptable.And don’t give me this bullshit about how peaceful protest doesn’t work. You and I both know that is a load of complete shit. Martin Luther King did not achieve freedom for blacks by murdering white people or bombing homes. No, in fact, he was the complete opposite. He took hits from the people that hated him, and all the way kept himself composed. He was an inspiration to us all and he never once lifted a hand to strike down those that despised him. Contrary to what you pea brained fuckwads think, violence doesn’t solve everything. And unfortunately for you, nothing you do will stop the consumption of animals in this world. Ever. Humans are meat eaters. Deal with it. Likewise, until YOU come up with methods to replace our current methods for discovering more about genetics, etc. we will continue to do that out of necessity. We absolutely require the use of animals for testing to provide us with cures for cancer, etc. As a result, all violence does is make us more aware that there are crazy ass fuckers in the world who deserve their own fucked up island to live on so we don’t have to deal with them.And I’ve had fucking cancer. I want a cure for that, okay? Whatever it fucking takes. Your bullshit actions aren’t going to stop me from finding those cures in this lifetime. It only makes me more resolute in my beliefs.So, in the end, I hope the fuckers who have done and will do terrible things in this city and any other city will be caught and locked up forever. May your sins against humanity condemn you to a life behind bars. Your rights are not being trampled on. You can peacefully protest. You, however, are breaking the law, repeatedly, and harming human beings who simply believe differently. This is the same narrow-minded, sick mentality that led Hitler to commit genocide against the Jews, or Stalin to kill Christians and political dissenters, or Mao Ze-Dong to murder his fellow people and the people of Tibet, or the list of other remarkably horrible acts of genocide you can find here. You all are markers of evil, people on this earth who have nothing better to do than terrorize people for literally no valid reason. You are not fighting oppression. You are fighting an imaginary nothing, a force you think exists, but doesn’t. And people are paying with

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