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Quote of the Day

“Macx is a 21st century animal who eats information and excretes ideas. Ideas are nothing more than the connective spark between the charmed synchronicities of items of data. This is why restrictive societies like to control the flow of information: very few political soil pipes are built to take the pressure of millions of people [...]

J. D. Salinger 1919-2010

“Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right [...]

Life by Francis Bacon

More poetry!

This from pioneering scientist, attorney general, philosopher, and poet Lord Francis Bacon.

When Bacon learned about the European discovery of the lands in the western hemisphere, he wrote The New Atlantis (1627) where he imagined a nation that gave greater rights to women, abolished slavery, eliminated debtors’ prisons, separated church and state, and provided freedom [...]

For Fans of Old-School Science Fiction

Frederik Pohl has been keeping a blog since the beginning of this year. Most recently he posted about his pacemaker implant, but over the last few months he’s also put up a series of posts about early fandom that are just terrific.

I’m a sucker for old SF pulps and stories about the penny-a-word writers [...]

Two SF Treats

Two new treats from two of my favorite SF writers.

First, this essay “Design Fiction,” from Bruce Sterling. Sterling is a trailblazer, first on the scene with CyberPunk, SteamPunk, started the Viridian list (which inspired the Worldchangers), writes design theory (Shaping Things), and is currently researching imaginary gadgets (when not creating new gonzo genres of speculative [...]

Where I Write

Fun collection of some SF/Fantasy writers in their workspace. (Thanks, JFR!)

Here’s Floridian Piers Anthony.

Sad Day in the Science Fiction World

Charles Brown, long-time editor of Locus magazine, died last night.

“Locus publisher, editor, and co-founder Charles N. Brown, 72, died peacefully in his sleep July 12, 2009 on his way home from Readercon.”

Many years ago when I worked in a science-fiction bookstore I relied on Locus to guide me to the best works to order. [...]

Inherent Vice

Thomas Pynchon has a new book coming out in a few weeks. At under 400 pages I might actually be able to finish this one.

There are actually only two books by Pynchon I haven’t finished. I’m really looking forward to this one.

Kevin Smith on Writing a Superman Script

A very funny, 20-minute tale from Kevin Smith on writing a script for Superman.

Edison Hate Future

A mini-webcomic from Warren Ellis.

Here’s one panel from Edison Hate Future.

J. G. Ballard 1930-2009

One of the great intellectual inspirations of my life has died.

By weird coincidence, when I was browsing at Mojo books this afternoon, I thought “It’s been a long time since I read any Ballard, I should keep him in mind as I browse.”

Architecture Fiction

Link to White Fungus by Bruce [...]

SF author Mike Resnick to speak at USF Tampa library

This Thursday, April 16, noted SF author Mike Resnick will be the featured speaker at USF’s Fifth Annual Science Fiction Lecture.

“Special Collections has been home to Mike Resnick’s manuscripts and publications for many years. His visit is in some ways a homecoming as well as an opportunity for the community to celebrate his achievements. Join [...]

David Arneson 1948-2009

David Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, died April 7, 2009.

Arneson and Gary Gygax (who died last year) fundamentally altered the pop culture landscape.

Arneson met Gygax in 1969 at a gaming convention. They took their shared interest in war games, applied it to a medieval world, and spawned an industry that resonates through every [...]

The Case Against the Kindle

Why the Kindle is not good for intellectual [...]

Vonnegut Motivational Posters

Awesome collection of Vonnegut motivational posters.

Diana Kennedy at Inkwood

Inkwood Books will be hosting cookbook author Diana Kennedy Saturday, February 14 at 2 p.m.

“Kennedy is universally known for bringing authentic delicious Mexican recipes to the US kitchen, as Julia Child did for French and Marcella Hazan did for Italian. She will discuss and sign her classic book, The Art of Mexican Cooking, which was [...]

Donald Westlake 1933-2008

Donald Westlake dies New Year’s Eve.

The full panoply of Mr. Westlake’s books was a spectacle to behold, his friends said. “We were in his library, this beautiful library surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of titles,” said Laurence Kirshbaum, his agent, “and I realized that every single book was written by Donald Westlake, English-language and foreign-language [...]

Daily Routines of Authors

Daily Routines collects information about “how writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days.” T. C. Boyle has my dream schedule and the one I work on trying to achieve (with an emphasis on the trying).

“I start with two newspapers: the L.A. Times and the Santa Barbara News Press. Then I re-read what [...]

Bill McKeen’s Book Blog

Bill McKeen is now an occasional contributor to Creative Loafing’s Daily Loaf as Bill McKeen’s Book Blog.

William McKeen is chairman of the University of Florida’s Department of Journalism and author of several books, including the Hunter S. Thompson biography Outlaw Journalist.

Ric Jahna Visits Inkwood Books

Ric Jahna is on tour to support his new book True Kin: Stories.

As he travels around the country he is profiling independent bookstores, libraries, and other locally owned businesses and writing about them on his blog – My Book Tour. Last Wednesday he visited Inkwood Books and blogged about it here.

(h/t Ybor City Stogie)

Google gets to continue scanning books, must pay for copyright registry, and pay settlement to authors

A few years ago Google began an ambitious program to scan the books of major academic and research libraries and put the digital copies online. When they were working with public domain material this was not a problem. But then Google began scanning books that were in copyright. This brought about a lawsuit from the [...]

Inkwood Book Events for November

Here’s some upcoming events at Inkwood Books.

The descriptions are abbreviated, click here to get the full scoop.

I see that they have Patrick McGrath visiting. I read everything McGrath wrote up until the mid-90s and loved it all.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 7:00 p.m.
WARRICK DUNN
Location: next to Milagros Soap Shop, 1605 W. Snow Circle, Hyde Park Village, [...]

Bye Bye Dykes

The following is a guest post from JB -

Looks like Alison Bechdel, author/illustrator of the 25-year-long comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For” has (temporarily, I hope) retired her cartooning pen to pursue other writing projects (http://www.dykestowatchoutfor.com/dtwof-episode-527). I discovered it unexpectedly last night, when I decided to check up on my old pals, Mo and [...]

David Foster Wallace

1962-2008

“Wallace’s wife, Karen Green, found her husband had hanged himself when she returned home at about 9:30 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2008. He was 46 years old.”

Florida Authors Wiki

Interested in Florida authors? Check out the Florida Authors Wiki.

“This is a group project started by the Readers’ Advisory Committee at the Southwest County Regional Library of the Palm Beach County Library System in Boca Raton, Florida.

“Our goals are to be as inclusive and as accessible as possible. To that end, we are defining “Florida [...]

Author Signing at Inkwood Books on Thursday

From a recent press release -

“On Thursday, August 14 at 7 p.m., at Inkwood Books, WILLIAM McKEEN, University of Florida Professor of journalism, will discuss and sign his biography, OUTLAW JOURNALIST: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON. McKeen gets behind the drinking and drugs to show the intelligence and influence of the writer [...]

Surf Mules

Congratulations to local author G. Neri for completing his latest novel, Surf Mules.

I only stumbled across Neri the other day, and haven’t had a chance yet to read his work, but I’m looking forward to it.

“We had one day to go through the entire 274 pages and do all my editor’s final line edits and [...]

Lakeland Writer Inducted Into Baseball Hall-of-Fame

The Polk County News blog notes that Lakeland writer John Valerino will have his book “Turning Two: Baseball’s Classic Keystone Combinations” inducted into the baseball hall of fame. Valerino’s book looks at the double-play in baseball.

Thomas Disch 1940-2008

Unless you’re deeply into contemporary poetry, or know your New Wave science fiction writers, you probably never heard of Thomas Disch. Some of you might recognize his name as the author of The Brave Little Toaster, and The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars.

I read a ton of Disch’s work as a teen and I’m [...]