I heart Charlie Jane Anders

If you're at all interested in science fiction and you don't read io9, you should. It mostly covers SF media, with the occasional book review thrown in like bacon salt for spice.

One of the best reasons to read it, however, is to catch the gems Charlie Jane Anders sprinkles liberally throughout her contributions. Consider this beauty from her review today of Dragonball Evolution:

There are balls of lint smarter than Dragonball Evolution....

or this one

If you're going to see one mindless Joseph Campbell wank-chalice of a film about the Hero's Journey this month, you could do a lot worse than Dragonball.

I love the term wank-chalice. (Of course, I do own several; what self-respecting male doesn't?)

Go scrub your eyes now. I'll wait.

What really makes me like Anders, however, is that despite the lines I showed you, she enjoyed this movie. I've never met her, but if we're ever at the same con and she wants to duck out for a matinee of a particularly bad-looking flick, I'm there.

The paperback of Slanted Jack is almost out

Last night, I received from the printer my author's box of the mass market edition of Slanted Jack. The book looks great, and it's cool to see Chapter 1 of Overthrowing Heaven in print as a teaser in this volume. With the economy continuing not to look great, more and more book buyers appear to be turning to the paperback editions, so I'm glad this book is almost on the shelves.

Of course, I'd like all those same buyers to pick up the hardback of Overthrowing Heaven, which will be available in early June.

Now, I just have that other book to write....

One thing leads to another

So I'm thinking about magic a lot these days, what with my work on the Science Magic Sex show I'm doing at Balticon, and you know how it goes: one thing leads to another. Magic takes me to unexpected delight to joy coming from nowhere to music to concerts to the Tilly and the Wall show I saw with Sarah to this video.



So as I write this it's playing on another computer here in The U of Power. Then I'm swiveling in my chair and realize that chair dancing won't cut it and I have to get up and dance around the office--but the song ends, and it is late, but now singing women are in my brain and that can mean only one thing: we need another song.

Patti Smith will do nicely.



You know what else belongs in the night: cake. Yes, cake indeed.

Really, viewed this way, I never had a choice, did I? Of course not.

What President Obama and I have in common this week

We're both attending seders, the ritual dinners of Passover. President Obama is hosting his at the White House tomorrow night; I went to mine at Gina's house tonight.

Due to some scheduling mix-ups we started late, but then the reading of the Haggadah proceeded in its usual (for Gina's house) entertaining and slightly crazed way. The food and company were both good, and I had a nice time.

I expect the President's affair to be a bit more formal, but I hope he enjoys it.

Now, though, work beckons, as it does so often, and to it I go.

Bill Hicks on my mind

One of my many ongoing projects is the preparation for my spoken word show at Balticon. (I sure hope a decent crowd shows up, because this sucker is a lot of work.) As I've been jotting notes and arranging bits, Bill Hicks (the comedian, not the musician) has been prominent in my thoughts. I've mentioned him before in this blog, so I'll make this simple: If you don't know his work, you need to check him out. Buy a CD or watch one of the few available DVDs, and you'll quickly appreciate the intensity and intelligence of this guy--and you'll laugh until you hurt.

I should warn that he was also foul-mouthed and willing to discuss any topic, including many dirty ones, so forget my recommendation if you don't want to hear that sort of thing.

If I can be a tenth as entertaining and insightful as Hicks was, I'll be happy.

I wish he was still around.

Slower and less angry

Yes, I ignored all the reviews and last Friday night went to check out Fast and Furious. Why?

Two words: Michelle Rodriguez. I knew in advance that her role was little more than a long cameo, but I just can't resist her.

Plus, to be fair, we had fast cars and plenty of things going "Boom!"

To my surprise, the 9:40 show at our local theater sold out, and the 10:10 show, which we attended, was nearly full. As my friend, Alissa, a teacher who moonlights at the theater to make extra money, knowingly said, "People like them some Vin."

The film had a plot. It had characters, and it made sure we knew most of their motivations--and slyly kept vague the demons driving Paul Walker, as it would reveal them over time. The team behind this number-one-at-the-box-office feature carefully assembled all of the pieces.

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone in the theater cared about any of the characters in the film. Giving a damn about them would have required more effort than digesting the last Amazon cardboard box you received.

All that said, I went in expecting empty calories, dined on my movie junk food, and left having had a pleasant enough time watching fast cars and things going "Boom!" I am such a movie slut.

I just wish they'd given Michelle Rodriguez a bigger role.