Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

For those of you on Twitter, I know, I’ve been going on and on about this group for the past three days. I can’t stop listening to these guys. The funny thing is, I hate country. Very few songs really grab me in that particular genre. Yet this whole new album (their second) is fantastic.

Have a taste. They are even wonderful live as evidence by one of these clips:

“Run to You” (From First Album)

“Never Alone” w/ Jim Brickman

“Need You Now”

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

I eagerly opened the Hugo nomination packet that came in the mail a few weeks ago. As I flipped through the pages, my confidence began to fade. Thoughts like: “How can I possibly give each field a fair evaluation when I haven’t read nearly the amount to make a qualified decision?” or “What works even qualify as a novelette or novella?” or “Where can I find a comprehensive list of everything that’s available?”

As I found myself putting the nomination form aside, those same thoughts evolved into: “I will just have to catch up on everything that was published in 2009, to make the best decision possible.” and “I have to culminate a list of everything that people are putting up for consideration and read it.” and “I shall take note of editors and word counts and artists and…”

The nomination form quickly got buried with the burden of my now self-employed, full time, non-paying job of “Nominatrix Extraordinaire”. For the last twelve days, I couldn’t even tell you where the form went. Sure, I read some books, but they were books I had already decided I wanted to read. I was not as successful coming up with anything else of note.

Then a few days ago, a writer who I was lucky enough to share critiques with at Worldcon sent out a note. Addressed to ‘Devotees of Science Fiction and Fantasy’, it warned of the same mental stagnation that I was experiencing.The email also pointed to an article written by my fellow colleague at Clarkesworld Magazine, Cheryl Morgan. While Cheryl’s point is directly aimed at getting more women on the ballot, I think she nails it on the head that women tend to sabotage themselves when it comes to making decisions of this nature. Granted, this isn’t all women, but it looks like a good portion of the female population tend to crawl inside their own heads. This is not a reaction to fear, but I am clearly one of those women who like to make informed and qualified decisions. The nomination portion of the Hugo Awards does not fit into my orderly world of control.

…reading “everything” is impossible. You just have to look at what you have read and seen, and judge whether you think any of it is good enough to be nominated.

“Really? It’s that easy?” Yep. It is.

Don’t worry if you don’t have views in every category either. If you haven’t read any novellas in the past year, leave that section blank.

But…but!!!

I know, this goes against everything single deep-seated desire to fill in every line in every category. I’ve had to train myself that it is necessary and indeed, appropriate in some cases to skip things with which I’m not famliar.

So my lovely ladies of the universe, go vote. Read Cheryl’s post as to why it is imperative that you do.  Time is running out on the new supporting memberships, so if you can’t get to it, consider becoming a supporting member in order to vote on the forthcoming short lists.

If you are still gung-ho about being “informed” here are a pile of links to peruse with some ideas for the up and coming awards season.

• Cheryl Morgan – Hugo Voting on the Cheap (This has some great info on award-eligible women in the SF/F field)
• Rachel Swirsky – Nebula Nominations (I think most of these suggestions can be used in Hugo eligibility as well.)
• Mary Robinette Kowal – Hugo Eligibility Post
• John Scalzi – Hugo Eligibility Post
• Cheryl Morgan – Hugo Post
• Cheryl Morgan – Australian Artists
• Neil Clarke – On the Importance of Showing Why Semi-Prozines Should be Supported and Valued (Links to sites eligible for the Semi-prozine Hugo Award)
• John Klima – On Why the Hugos are important for both the writers and fans of SF/F
• The Hugo Recommend Live Journal Community
• Paul Cornell’s Comic Recommendations
• Best Fan Writer Recommendations
• Charlie Stross – Hugo Eligibility
• Beneath Ceaseless Skies Hugo Recommendations
• John Joseph Adams – Hugo Eligibility

If there are more links which point to either eligibility or recommendations, please feel free to leave them in the comments. I will add them to the post.

Also – I didn’t want to leave this post without a gratuitous pimp for Clarkesworld Magazine which is eligible for the Semi-Prozine category. I love working for this magazine as the Podcast Director and would love to see it recognized.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

Sorry about that previous post… here’s something to cheer you up.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

Because I would have called for my RMA a while ago and I would have had the distributor pay the shipping costs.

Let me make something perfectly clear.  I am not a Republican. Nor am I a Democrat. I am a law-abiding, tax-paying, middle-class citizen who votes according to her conscience. I guess most people would consider that an Independent these days. I’m a mix of Libertarian and Centrist. You know, someone who values rights and liberty while being fair and just to as many people as she can.

Part of what I do in a full time/day job capacity is plan out meetings and logistics. I’m pretty good at if I say so myself. In fact, I am currently getting contracts together for a customer event in Miami. You would think having an event in such a high profile place would be really expensive. However, with some careful consideration and just a little bit of effective persuasion and forethought, you’ll find people are willing to work with you on budgetary management.

So it actually makes me wonder how in the world the Pelosi delegation to the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit was charged $734.00 per room/per night? I’m am also confused how they were exorbitantly screwed up the ass by a hotel chain who charged a minimum six night stay for two nights of use? $4046.00 was spent for two nights/per person at the Copenhagen Marriott 5-star hotel. The total bill for the 60 member delegation ended up being around ONE MILLION DOLLARS! Why were family members and spouses were treated to lavish meals on my dime? (I don’t particularly give a crap they got their air tickets and hotel charges “thrown in”.)

Why in the name of climate change control, were they allowed to leave a trail of carbon footprints from the US to Denmark with nothing to show for it except some Botox smiles and waves?

Did I suddenly enter into crazy town or does this actually make no sense to reasonable folk?

I can’t describe how incredibly angry I am about this. I know tons of social programs that would kill for half of that money to keep their doors open or hire just a few more staff to take the pressure off overworked employees. What hurts the most is that this is ultimately coming out of every hard working American’s pocket. What makes me even more incensed is that Obama is starting a spending freeze on certain programs in order to play Robin Hood to the middle class. Why not start where the spending is the most egregious and abused? Why not start with a woman who has seemingly lost touch with what the word “frugal” means in a fragile economy.

I don’t think Pelosi gets the fact that she pulled the same bullshit the corporate CEO’s did back when they flew to Washington in private jets to ask for bailout money. I don’t think she gets that people are out of work. I don’t think she gets or cares that we continue to raise the debt limit and whore ourselves out to countries like China because we can’t afford our own system of government. It’s okay though — it will be years before our children’s children must speak Chinese in the classroom. If she did “get it” and did care, she wouldn’t be avoiding reporters questions on the lavish expense report she filed.

Government waste is nothing new. I realize this fact. As my anger subsides, sadness overwhelms me. I feel sorry for Nancy and this clueless delegation for the simple fact that they have no idea what it means to live in the real world. In my real world, people are starving, out of work and aching for a government who does what they promise. So far, I see nothing but crumbling pie crusts.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

• Just got home from listening to the Knickerbocker Orchestra and @neilhimself. The whole show was absolutely wonderful. So glad we went. #
• In NYC waiting for @neilhimself and the knickerbocker orchestra to start. the kids are awestruck. (as am I) #
• My eight year old wants to see Central Park — to see the Balto statue?? For a minute I was all on board when I thought she said Baltar #
• Heading down to NYC with 3 kids now instead of just the one to hear @neilhimself tonight. This should be uh, errr, fun! :) #
• RT @clarkesworld: Mid-month Clarkesworld Podcast: All the King's Monsters by Megan Arkenberg http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/audio_01_10a/ #
• RT @clarkesworld: Clarkesworld Magazine is open for short fiction submissions: http://bit.ly/61ZOS2 (new guidelines in effect) #
• I'm selling Girl Scout Cookies, I know you want some, they are so yummy. You can't resist them. (*she sings as she does the PB&J dance*) #
• Debating on making a deal with the devil. Don't know for what yet. I've already got beauty and wit. Maybe a lot of money… #
• Putting finishing touches on "All the King's Monsters" by Megan Arkenberg for @Clarkesworld Magazine. Will be put up on the 15th. #
• RT @MaryRobinette: Blantant Self-Promotion: For those of you Hugo voters, here are my 2009 publications. http://bit.ly/6ncHC4 #
• RT @blogwhatever: Whateverette: How to help in Haiti http://bit.ly/87b5bC #
• RT @pie_r_round: Pat Robertson makes the case for preventing stupid people from procreating: http://bit.ly/6gwVHT #
• Here have a nice airport security colonoscopy to go with your crazy. #
• To the idiots who say, "I'd rather have bag fee increases than a rise in ticket prices" — It's justifiably the same damn thing. Morons. #
• Wooo. Surpassed the 1600 dl mark for "The Things" podcast by Peter Watts over @clarkesworld Magazine! http://bit.ly/5UdVwP #
• Inbox = 0 — It's definitely a productive day. Have to drive to Boston later, though. :P #
• RT @mightymur: It looks like it might actually come out tomorrow. My first fiction to actually land in book stores: http://bit.ly/8B7Odn #
• Out of Sorts Post #fb: Review: Scenting the Dark http://anaedream.com/2010/01/10/review-scenting-the-dark/ #

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

…consisted of two minor things.

We got a car wash. There is nothing quite like three kids in the back of a silver CR-V as the automatic machine went to town, set to the music of the opening sequence of Star Wars. We all totally hammed it up. What was even more fun, was when the dryer started, it looked like we were navigating a field of stars at warp speed.

The second most awesome thing was coming home from a Girl Scout meeting. Lexie, Allyson and I all practiced our “evil” laughs. Presumably to get people to buy more Girl Scout cookies.

Aw jea, peeps. It’s cookie time.

The small little segue aside, most times, I really love being a geek mom.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

I got to hear John read the first chapter of this novella at Worldcon this past August. The first thing I noticed when he read was the complete lack of humor. There are no chapter long fart jokes as experienced in The Android’s Dream. There are no quirky one-liners to break the tension.  John took The God Engines completely seriously and it’s all the better for it.

In fact, the conflict in this story builds like a tidal wave. This along with memorable and vividly drawn characters, a deep story which had me thinking about my own application of faith, and a rather distressing but wholly necessary conclusion, makes for an excellent piece of cross-genre fiction.

It’s science fiction with some dark fantasy mixed in. I would think even a horror fan would walk away from this novella satisfied. I couldn’t help turn each page with a racing heart wondering what would happen next. It’s a quick little read, but one that follows you after you’ve closed the back cover.

I really want to get into the meat and bones of this book to discuss what it meant on a much deeper religious/spiritual level to me and how I applied it to my constant questioning of faith.

Yet, it will break my own rules about spoilerific book reviews. With this post, I’m ultimately trying to get you interested in the book without giving anything away, which is becoming increasingly hard to do with each word because I want to talk about the details.

Perhaps I need some first made iron to keep me in my own bonds.

Go get this book. You won’t regret it. It has firmly displaced my love for “The Sagan Diary” as my favorite John Scalzi work, and I won’t be surprised if it supplants your favorite to date as well.

Available from Subterranean Press. Looks like they are out of the Limited but do have some trade available. The illustrations from Vincent Chong are amazing as usual.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

A dash of reality, a pinch of dream, mix it with a bit of the fantastic and drizzle with understandable science.  Best served with a glass of horror or anticipation. Would there be a recipe for Mary Robinette Kowal’s new chap book, “Scenting the Dark and Other Stories”, that is what it would look like.

Your dish would come out perfect every time.

When the gorgeous little hard cover arrived by mail from Subterrean Press, I was in love. This is one of those books that if seen in a Borders or Barnes and Nobles, I would have instantly picked it up. The cover design by Sandro Castelli can be seen in this post, but it is only when you hold it in your hands, does the true beauty emerge.

As for the stories, Mary crafts each one of the eight shorts with rich details and memorable characters. John Scalzi mentions her humor, empathy and intelligence in the introduction. Of all three, the empathy is contagious. Mary’s characters are real. With both strengths and faults, the people that she writes could be your own family, neighbors or co-workers. One of the biggest assets a short story writer can have is a character to whom the reader can relate. There was someone in all the stories that I read with whom I genuinely connected.

It is a rarity that a writer can make me feel and care about individuals in such a short amount of time, and Mary seems to do it in all the shorts featured in this book. All of her offerings are extremely strong and intelligent, however a few stand out as my favorites.  ”Portrait of Ari”, “Scenting the Dark” and “Jaiden’s Weaver”, had the most impact as I hungrily turned each page.

Mary Robinette Kowal won the Campbell award for best new writer and was nominated in the Hugo Award category, Best Short Story for her brilliant flash, “Evil Robot Monkey”. She deserves every bit of praise. If you haven’t purchased this little gem that showcases her wonderful talent, you’re truly missing out.

Available from Subterrean Press.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

Inspired by Genevieve Valentine’s post over at Fantasy Magazine, I give you a sexy Tim Curry. The Worst Witch was one of my absolute favorite movies when I was younger. So much so that it inspired me to ride around my front yard on a broomstick.

What?

I just realized I can get the movie at Amazon and I can’t wait to show it to my kids. Diana Rigg, Tim Curry and a little girl named Fairuza Balk who played a small and a big bwitch.

Oh, they grow so fast!

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

1105 downloads in 5 days.

Record breaking viewer traffic.

Numerous RTs on Twitter.

John Scalzi pimped it and Metafilter picked it up, other sites are linking.

The feedback on the various sites have been humbling.

Most importantly — a Mr. Peter Watts even enjoyed it.

I am on cloud nine.

I have one of the best jobs, ever.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

I’ve been on a mashup/remix kick a bit, I know. But I love how people experiment with music. It makes it all the more fun.

Have some “Celebrity Skin” by Hole

…and a more classic mash-up featuring The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and Leona Lewis’, “Bleeding Love”.

Then way old-school with a little Aretha, The Beatles, and Elton John

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

My friend Pete wanted to promote the reading I did for Peter Watts on his site, which he’s just relaunched. He asked me if I had any pictures of me podcasting and I realized that I didn’t.

So here they are! Big blue eyes!

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

…and I can most certainly dance to it! Hey, I had to make up for that monstrosity below. ;) Madonna vs. Cassius. You can find the download to the music here. *under the downloads – Toop Toop Groove*

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

Like one of the comments state, I must iterate that I may have suffered a form of dame bramage from watching that, despite the toe-tapping.

WTF is a stanky leg?

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

So I can’t really contain my excitement on this one. Peter Watts is one of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.  I got to briefly chat with him after a reading he did of “The Things” at Worldcon. He had only read part of the fantastic story but it was too late. I was hooked. I wanted more.

As I say in the few minutes before the story gets going on the podcast, you can imagine my utter delight and many squees when Neil told me we were putting up the story for January. What a way to start 2010!

Without sounding like a total fangirl here, this story is awesome on so many levels. With anything in the written or spoken word, your imagination has to do all the work. Once the writer and/or narrator start laying the canvas, it’s ultimately how you arrange the paint in your head. The artists give you the broad strokes. This story is almost an Alfred Hitchcock approach to imagery, by dancing around the grotesque, your mind is left to make up the difference. Wholly more terrifying in parts if you ask me. Words cue mental pictures and depending on your life experiences, there are moments within “The Things” which send shivers up your delicate spine and invite introspection.  Peter has the gift of making me question what it really means to be human.

I hope you’ll go read or listen to this month’s Clarkesworld Magazine. You won’t be disappointed. As always — please leave comments on both stories and podcasts. If you are an audiophile, please consider subscribing to the Itunes feed or Podcast Alley.

As I’ve also mentioned, we’ll be putting out two podcasts a month now. Aren’t you excited now? I know I am!

I like to say that I have one of the best jobs in the world. I do. Oh, how I do!

The Things by Peter Watts

All the King’s Monsters by Megan Arkenberg

Lucius Shepard: An Expatriate Writer of Exotic Tales
by Jason S. Ridler

Video Game Sci-Fi Comes of Age
by Brian Trent

2009 Reader’s Poll and Contest
by Neil Clarke

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”

- Neil Gaiman

This quote resonated with me in its sheer simplicity. Life has been so extraordinarily complex that its been easy to forget who I am. It was these whimsy and poetic, soulful words which grounded me once again and allowed for desperate release. Despite it’s repetition, I am grateful. There is use to recycled words, especially for those whose ears haven’t had the fortune of listening. These speak to the nature of my being.

Looking back, I’ve certainly surprised myself in 2009. I have been both blessed and mistreated.  I’ve given my thanks and risen above the chaos. I am stronger.

My wish for 2009 however, is not for me, but for those of you who continue to struggle in various situations. Find your simplicity and build upon that foundation. You will find your strength.  You will find yourself.

When the music starts to play, when the songs are sung and when the paint splashes against your canvases, make your paintings beautiful and use the brightest of colors.

To steal just the tiniest of fairy dust, I am still waiting for that aforementioned kiss.

Warmth and Solace, my most wonderful friends. This year will be better.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

So I was updating all of my pages on my site today. I just wanted to give you the impressive count of podcasts/specials I’ve done for 2009.

For Clarkesworld Magazine:

• Stories read: 8 out of 12 eligible published stories for 2009
• Authors: Desirina Boskovich, Ekatarina Sedia, Nnedi Okorafor, Nick Mamatas, Sarah Monette, Kij Johnson, Cat Rambo, Richard Parks
• Words read: 37,000 words

For 2010 – Neil Clarke and I’ve planned on doubling the podcast output. Released on the 1st and 15th of every month, it’ll add more content for you to enjoy. Some will be read by me, and others will be read by their authors.

For Escape Pod:

• Stories read: 5 since July 2009
• Authors: Genevieve Valentine, Nancy Kress, Nick Mamatas, Katherine Sparrow (Joint reading with other narrators), James Patrick Kelly
• Words Read: 19,000 words

For StarShipSofa:

• Stories and Poems Read: 8 since January 2009
• Authors: Ted Kosmatka, Mark Rich, Tim Pratt, Mike Allen, Charles Saplack, CL Holland, Aliette de Bodard
• Words Read: 15,000 words

For Fantasy Magazine

• Stories Read: 1 for podcast promo CD
• Author: Jessica J. Lee
• Words Read: 2000 words

For Mythic Delirium:

• Poems Read: 4 poems
• Authors: Holly Dworken Cooley, Lindsey Nair, Constance Cooper, Ann K. Schwader
• Words Read: 700 words approx

For Peter Hodges:

• Stories Read: 3
• Words: 10,000 words

For A Magazine Which Shall Remain Nameless Who Had Me Do Three Stories, promised to post them and then they disappeared:

• Short Stories Read: 3
• Words Read: 15000 words

Total For 2009

• Stories and Poems Read: 29
• Words Read: 98700 words

Holy crap! That isn’t even counting the other projects I had relating to voice over work, including company training videos and phone greetings.  You do realize that around 100K words is a standard science fiction/fantasy novel length. I read a whole book to you guys! Man, my lips are tired! :)

When you break it down, it’s a little over 2 narrations a month. Hourly commitment to a standard 5000 word story is about 3-5 hours after recording and editing, some were longer and some were most certainly shorter. So if I were to guestimate the amount of time it took over the year to podcast, it would be upwards in the 150-200 hours range. 100 hours would be if they all took 3 hours to complete. Again, some where really short, others were all nighters.

This is just mind boggling to me. The average cost and industry standard for a narrator to complete an audio book is around $150.00 – $300.00 per finished hour. Sometimes, depending on who you are, a famous actor or something) You’ll get paid a lump sum to read a popular book. So if I treated this as an actual business, and expected compensation from my clients, I would have made, (we’ll go with 20 hours of finished audio here) $3000.00 on the low end and $6,000.00 on the high end of that price range.

Haha – well here’s to volunteer work. May 2010 prove to be a little more fruitful in the terms of compensation. Mama wants a new MacBook Pro.

**Granted, I’m not going to say that I wasn’t compensated this year for some of the work I did. So thank you to those (you know who you are) who did. The whole narration compensation discussion is definitely a topic I will be bringing up later. There are some things I’ve learned which makes me kinda mad.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

Calamity becomes my ever-growing stack of books.

See, I have this best friend named Pete. Being the prolific reader that he  is, Pete’s always shoving SF/F books in my face. “You gotta read this one…and this one.” On the rare occasions that I’ve been able to peruse the shelves of a book store with him, he runs around the science fiction and fantasy section like a kid who’s forgotten his Ritalin. “This one looks awesome! This author was in my Viable Paradise class. Here, you’ll love this one.”

So now, I have this ginormous stash of dead trees and yet, I keep going out and buying new books. This bad habit is only propagated by the simple fact that when Pete hands me a novel, it’s usually the first in a series.

“Here. Read this Jim Butcher novel. It’s about wizard detective. You’ll love it.” What is Butcher on now? Writing book 12? (Pauses to look it up) Yep. Book 12 – Changes is due out in April. Damn you! Do you see how this impedes the ever-growing stack of literary material? Not to mention, I loved The Dresden Files so much, I went out and bought his fantasy series, Codex Alera.

Pete turned me on to John Scalzi, Taylor Anderson, Patrick “Patience Waning for Book 2″ Rothfuss, George R. R. “Get the Torch and Pitchforks” Martin, John “Oh John Ringo, No” Ringo and yes, S.M. Stirling. Just to name a few.

So, to get to the meat and potatoes of this post, I loved Dies the Fire, and now I will need to go out and purchase more S.M. Stirling books. Ahhh! My other books which have been waiting their turn in line are revolting as I type.  Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman just whispered in a titillating English accent the many ways of my impending death. (I may have to taunt this book a little more.) Honor Harrington, completely out of character, is laughing maniacally in the background while the rest of the vampires, Gods and Goddesses, and war heroes sharpen their weapons of retribution. Wait until The God Engines shows up on my door, or Mary Robinette Kowal’s, Scenting the Dark is delivered.  I may have to resort to napalm.

See, how far behind I am? Dies the Fire, was published in August, 2004. This series of books is about the aftermath of a catastrophic event characters in the novel call The Change. This series takes place in the same universe as Stirling’s Nantucket Series. It follows what happens the exact moment Nantucket is thrust into the past and the consequences that the event has on the natural world and everything that was left behind in the time shift.

Combustion no longer packs the punch it did, making everything that depended on catalyst fuel conversion almost worthless. Guns don’t work, neither do cars, nor steam engines. Fires burn enough to boil water and offer some warmth and light, but not to the extent they once did.

The book works on many levels for me in regards to story, characters and the sheer amount of detail. You can tell Stirling did his research in every arena this book explores. It’s truly heartbreaking as humanity loses itself, as only the few strong survive. Stirling’s portrayal of both adaptation and the lack thereof as familiarity and structure break down is both believable and terrifying. It’s absolutely gut-wrenching to see what some people will resort to in order to survive. Cannibals, rapists, militias gone wild, it’s all there and all very stomach-churning.

Yet, as the world comes crashing down, there are a few who ultimately rise from the ashes and become leaders. We follow Mike Havel, an ex-military outdoors man who begrudgingly finds himself the leader of survivors. It’s very intriguing to see how he and his group evolves post-change. Some people are made of the stuff of heroes and Mike is one of them.The other real main character is the Lady Juniper. A Wiccan before the change, she finds her title of High Priestess to her coven elevated even higher as people flock to her guidance and wisdom.

As with any good book, the conflict is not only the cataclysmic event in this book which alters everything, but people who as with anything, use the chaos and conflict for exploitation. There is always some jackhole who doesn’t care who he hurts, as long as he keeps the money rolling in, is allowed to piss all over people and has a few sex slaves to bang. Being well versed in ancient history doesn’t hurt either. Instead of a gun in his new world order, The Protector, a title which is demanded from his followers, arms his goons with armor and swords. A force to be reckoned with, it’s interesting to see how Mike Havel and Juniper address this threat to an already shaky survival.

The first installment in the trio of books is a hefty read, coming in at just under 600 pages. As I mentioned before, Stirling’s attention to detail is incredible.  In some cases and places it reads like a post-apocalyptic survival manual. One that I will definitely be placing in my survival kit buried out in my back…er, um, I mean… There are also incredible moments dedicated to the Wiccan way of life as well.  All the information and explanations makes every decision made by our protagonists believable. From what my friend Pete has given away in the future novels, we come to understand that the change did not only alter what could be seen and you will suddenly realize why the extensive delineations were necessary.

Highly recommended if you haven’t come across this gem.  I can’t wait to crack into The Protector’s War, which I’ve just purchased from my local Barnes and Noble.

Dammit.

For fans of S.M. Stirling — Pete interviewed him about his body of works back in May of 2008. You can find it here in two parts.

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

So I have to bring my camera everywhere now. These are a few of my favorite pictures from various family gatherings and holiday preparations.

The moment before a father becomes a myth.

(more after the cut)

Read the rest of this entry »

Originally published at Out of Sorts. Please leave any comments there.

This is why, no matter how old I am, I still love the muppets.

I’m even hormonal enough to note that the last line of the song, brought a little tear to my eye. :)