(1) MIND MELD. SF Signal’s latest Mind Meld asks —
Q: What Speculative Fiction titles are you most looking forward to consuming in 2016?
The answers this time come from Rachel Cotterill, Fran Wilde, Lisa Taylor, Paul Weimer, Foz Meadows, Rachel Cordasco, Lynn Williams, Amanda Rutter, Robert Davis, Sally Ember, Ed.D., Nick Mamatas, Delilah S. Dawson, and Sunil Patel.
(2) ARE THE GUNS BIG ENOUGH? Camestros Felapton has added Sad Larry to his line of Hugo figure trading cards. Looks like he’s holding a pair of .32 Lego Specials. Hmm. May need to rethink that. Larry was shooting a .44 Magnum when he was eight years old, and later in life was a licensed machine gun dealer.
Camestros will post additional figure cards posted over the next few days. He says they are all male, and that he is worried about the gender balance of the collection.
So 9 figures only one of which *looks* female (by the crude standards of lego), only one of which is referred to as female and some which could be female. That’s a pretty bad showing. I really want to add some more but avoid anything that looks like I’m mocking somebody’s appearance.
Funny that someone who’s messing with Sad Larry thinks that is what he should be worrying about…
(3) GOING TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. George R.R. Martin’s update on the progress of The Winds of Winter indicated if the manuscript had been turned in by year-end it could have been out by March. Chris Lough at Tor.com explains how a book could be produced at warp speed in “How Could The Winds of Winter Be Published In Only Three Months?”
…The production process is broken into six steps below, with an overall explanation of how the process typically works, coupled with speculation on how that process could be condensed into a span of three months. It should be noted that some of the terminology used may be publisher-specific, even though the terminology describes a universal process within the industry….
(4) LITIGATION. The Last Unicorn Film Tour investors have filed a lawsuit against Connor Cochran. Support Peter Beagle’s summary is:
They’re suing Cochran for $450,000, based on the original investment, not to mention punitive damages for fraud and all legal costs incurred by them. You can read the sordid details here in Sandbox-Complaint-for-Damages.
(5) MARGULIES OBIT. Character actor David Margulies died January 11 of cancer at the age of 78. He was best known for playing the mayor in Ghostbusters and Tony Soprano’s sleazy lawyer. The New York Times recalled:
In “Ghostbusters” (1984) and “Ghostbusters II” (1989), he played the mayor, Lenny Clotch, who evoked the incumbent New York mayor at the time, Edward I. Koch. In the sequel, Mr. Margulies invokes a former mayor (“I spent an hour last night in my bedroom talking to Fiorello La Guardia, and he’s been dead for 40 years”) and expresses skepticism that the citizenry’s obnoxious behavior is to blame for the river of pink slime that is inundating the city.
“What am I supposed to do?” he asks the Ghostbusters team (including Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd). “Go on television and tell 10 million people they have to be nice to each other? Being miserable and treating other people like dirt is every New Yorker’s God-given right.”
(6) TODAY IN HISTORY
- January 13, 1128 — Pope Honorius II grants a papal sanction to the military order known as the Knights Templar, declaring it to be an army of God.
- January 13, 1930 – Mickey Mouse comic strip debuted in newspapers.
- January 13, 1957 – The Wham-O Company developed the first Frisbee.
(7) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY BOYS
- Born January 13, 1893 — Clark Ashton Smith
- Born January 13, 1933 — Ron Goulart
(8) CAMPBELL AWARD PARAPHERNALIA. Okay, we’ll definitely be watching for this to show up.
Not sure if I can pull this off but I have 8 months to commission a Campbell Scepter for the #hugoawards
— Wesley Chu (@wes_chu) January 13, 2016
(9) NO SANITY CLAUS. Steve Davidson at Amazing Stories proves he’s as tired as anyone of writers who don’t finish in “F**K YOU, Dead Writers”.
The other day I was reading some commentary on George R.R. Martin’s FAILURE to meet his latest installment’s deadline and about how concerned he was regarding fan reaction.
Then, this morning, I was reading the comments to David Gerrold’s latest analysis of the CBS vs Axanar lawsuit and was reminded of David’s FAILURE to get the latest War with the Chtorr novel out – for 23 years,
And THAT reminded me of Harlan Ellison’s FAILURE to finish up a certain anthology I don’t dare mention by name for fear of invoking the wrath of Elcin, the wind god.
And THEN I was reminded of the fact that these living icons of science fictional disappointment are pikers compared to some.
You can not imagine how absolutely apoplectic I am about Robert A Heinlein. Or Arthur C. Clarke. Not to mention Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Eric Frank Russell, Fred Pohl, A. Bertram Chandler, Leigh Brackett, Joanna Russ, Octavia Butler, Henry Kuttner, Judith Merrill, C.L Moore, Doc Smith, Hamilton, Campbell, Bester, Chalker, Zelazny, Henderson, McCaffrey, Farmer, ….
You’re all dead and now you’ll NEVER finish ANYTHING! …
(10) CRITICAL MORASS. Lou Antonelli’s “On constructive criticism” manages to thread Lois Tilton, criticism, last year’s Hugos, and Catholic theology together on one string.
Most of the reviews of my short story “On a Spiritual Plain” boiled down to “The premise sucks, and it’s a weak story, and it’s badly written, and Lou Antonelli is a miserable human being, anyhow.”
Occasionally I was surprised by some genuinely thoughtful reviews. Any author worth his salt will recognize VALID criticisms. For example, saying a story of mine relies too much on dialogue and first person narration is valid; I lean on that a lot, and it indicates a weakness in my writing skills.
But IMHO, overall most so-called constructive criticism I hear simply reminds me (having been raised a Catholic) of original sin. Deep down, we’re all sinners, and it’s something we all have to fight constantly – to do good and help people, and improve the world.
Constructive criticism is usually just a justification for hatefulness.
(11) KNOW NOTHINGS. ScreenRant learned nothing about the next Star Trek series from an interview with the head of CBS Entertainment – because he doesn’t know anything either.
Despite being the launchpad for the new Star Trek series, CBS Entertainment’s new president Glen Geller revealed to Slashfilm that the show has been developed exclusively by and for the All Access streaming division.
“I’m not sure about the plans creatively for new characters. I don’t have anything to do with it. It really is for All Access. While the network will be broadcasting the pilot, I actually can’t answer any creative questions about it. I’m looking forward to seeing the new Star Trek. I think it’s going to be an exciting project.”
…While Geller says the new TV show will have no connection to the upcoming film, it may be inspired tonally by that franchise. Alex Kurtzman, who co-wrote and produced the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), will executive produce the 2017 series. He’ll be joined by Heather Kadin, with whom he also produces CBS series Limitless and Scorpion.
The first episode of the sixth Star Trek series will have to be impressive enough to convince viewers to sign up for a subscription service to see the rest. Netflix has set a precedent for getting new fans to sign up in order to watch episodes of series like Orange is the New Black and Daredevil, and CBS will be hoping longtime Trek fans will be extra motivated. For $5.99 a month, viewers can watch the new Star Trek series, plus every episode of its five predecessors. The service also includes on-demand viewing and live streaming of many of CBS’s other shows.
Star Trek Beyond opens in U.S. theaters on July 22, 2016. The new Star Trek TV show will debut on CBS in January 2017.
(12) TOUGH TO BE TOLKIEN. Sarah Monette/Katherine Addison’s “Doing Tolkien Wrong” is a reprint of a 2005 article.
I was given The Hobbit for my sixth birthday, The Lord of the Rings for my ninth. I’ve read The Silmarillion. I own the extended edition DVDs of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King–even though I don’t own a DVD player. In other words, I love Tolkien as much as the next really geeky person.
So when I say that Tolkien is an affliction and a curse, you understand that I’m saying it for a reason.
Specifically, Tolkien is an affliction and a curse to fantasy writers. This is a horribly ungrateful thing to say, when it’s largely thanks to Tolkien that fantasy writers can exist as a sub-species today at all. Certainly it’s thanks to Tolkien that so many fantasy novels, especially series of novels, can get published. But, nevertheless, the genre has reached a point where Tolkien causes more problems than he solves.
The reason for this is that, while Tolkien was a genius and a godsend to readers prepared to love secondary-world fantasy, he is a terrible model for writers. And that for a number of reasons, ranging from, on the macro level, his use of the quest plot to, on the micro level, the nature of his prose style. Imitating Tolkien – in and of itself, not a bad idea – has become mired down in slavish adherence to his product, rather than careful attention to his process.
(13) DICK AWARD. Joel Cunningham’s post “This Year’s Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Take SF in Strange New Directions” at B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog gives the Hugos a little bump en route to praising his favorite sf award.
Sorry Hugos, but for my money, there’s no more interesting award in sci-fi than the ones named for Philip K. Dick. In the tradition of everyone’s favorite gonzo pulpist, the “PKD Award” honors innovative genre works that debuted in paperback, offering a nice reminder that you don’t need the prestige of a hardcover release to write a mind-blowing book (just ask William Gibson, whose seminal cyberpunk classic Neuromancer claimed the title in 1984), and in fact, if past winners are any evidence, the format might be seem as a license to take greater risks.
[Thanks to JJ, John King Tarpinian, Andrew Porter, and Will R., for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Soon Lee.]
Discover more from File 770
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
[9] Neil Gaiman tells us all these works exist in The Dreaming, and I choose to believe him.
[10] For what it’s worth, here is my original short review of his story:
Yep, definitely, a justification for hatefulness.
Also, I hate to Catholic-splain to him — having been raised Protestant myself — but the concept of “original sin” as Catholics understand it is not the same concept as “we are all sinners” the way both Catholics and Protestants understand it. Original sin is a specific hereditary stain of inherited sinfulness that comes down to us from Adam, and Protestants — of the evangelical variety, anyway — do not teach it.
Incidentally, the Catholic doctrine of Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Mary, and not (as is commonly supposed) to the conception of Jesus. According to Pope Pius IX, Mary “was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.”
[12] I would agree with all of that, although where would teenage me be without her epic, incredibly Tolkien-derivative, fantasy work?
And my formative Robin Hood was the series with Richard Greene. I still can sing the title song.
Do you guys mean Robin of Sherwood? Not a BBC production!
You’re right, it was an HTV production. I still fell in fannish love with Judi Trott.
I now have the Clannad soundtrack stuck in my head. Might be worth trying to track it down for a rewatch – I don’t think I’ve seen it since it was on TV here originally.
@Lorcan Nagle
It was renamed Robin Hood in the US but you are right it was not the BBC but HTV and it was originally called Robin of Sherwood.
John Rhys Davies was in this production too as Richard the Lionhearted
Robin, the hooded man, riding through the glen,
Robin, the hooded man, with his band of men….
Somehow, that just… doesn’t work.
Honestly, Antonelli needs to learn that you just gotta have thick skin if you want to be a professional writer. Last night someone called one of my stories a “PICE OF SHIT!!!!!” and did I complain? No. I remembered that you can’t please everyone, I told myself that this was just one reader on one story and that I’ve made plenty of people happy with my work, then I cried for three solid hours, ate a quart of Ben and Jerry’s and punched the wall. And now I’m fine!
Radiance by Catherynne Valente arrived in the mail today. SO EXCITED!
For the Oscars, I am rooting heavily for Fury Road and Carol in a number of categories. Bearing in mind that for most categories I have seen somewhere between 0 and 2 of the nominees. Carol, incidentally, had a *fantastic* score as well as great acting, and I’m pleased to see it being recognized.
The Mind Meld piece brought my attention to / convinced me to put on my TBR list:
This Savage Song (although I actually didn’t much care for A Darker Shade of Magic, there’s a lot of Schwab’s stuff that I really really do like), as well as Every Heart a Doorway (I find McGuire is hit or miss with me, but the premise is intriguing enough that I’ll take a chance on its being one of the hits), and The Second Mango (hadn’t heard of it or author Shira Glassman before, but the concept is relevant to my interests and wow, the reviews are good.)
Maybe I’ll put up a list of my own most anticipated 2016 works later tonight.
Now I want someone to do a Clannad version of When Things Were Rotten.
RIP Alan Rickman, by Grabthar’s hammer. You would have made an awesome Doctor.
Rickman was an amazing actor, and a constant source of joy; I’d expected him to go on till his 80s because plays and films do have lots of character above the age of 60.
I saw Angela Lansbury last year, playing Madame Arcati in Noel Coward’s Blythe Spirit, she was doing high kicks. She has extraordinary presence and charisma, and her fellow actors love her as much as her fans do because she is amazingly generous to them on stage. She could blast them off it with her star power, but instead she makes sure that they have the space and time to make their mark in their roles, so that the plays the thing.
That is what truly great actors do, and I’d been looking forward to seeing Alan Rickman do that for many years to come…
@Nigel:
Alan Rickman featured regularly in my family’s games of fantasy casting. Many’s the time we contemplated him as the Doctor.
I was unable to warm to “Robin of Sherwood”, despite being more or less square in its intended audience bracket, because someone close to me died unexpectedly the day of its first episode. I also grew an irrationally irritable dislike of Clannad’s New Agey mood music, probably from the same cause.
I did like the Richard O’Brien Cromm Cruac episode.
Canadians of a certain age know that this is the definitive version of Robin Hood:
@ Shambles: Pretty much everyone apart from Costner is having a good time in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Rickman chews all available scenery; Christian Slater’s Will Scarlet is fun; Michael McShane is absolutely glorious as Friar Tuck. Just have a little puppet to hold up in front the screen to block out Costner and carry on.
(And to see Costner do pretty well in a tight little spy drama, watch No Way Out. He’s great as a Naval intelligence officer who finds himself plausibly accused of murder.)
I’m not Canadian, but one of the local kids shows used to do Rocket Robin Hood when it wasn’t showing The Might Hercules which was also Canadian. I hadn’t remembered that cheery marching music at the end.
When is the 6 months of Lou Antonelli going away scheduled to start?
No, I’m pretty sure this is the definitive Robin Hood:
12) People were writing bad series fantasies long before Tolkien. And the trend continues, but with the all present persistent and popular word “Trilogy” nailed onto every book cover possible.
Count me as another Robin of Sherwood fan. It’s available on DVD last I checked.
You can also count Jody A. Lee, the cover artist for the US editions of the Last Herald-Mage trilogy. If Vanyel looks a little familiar, well…
I got to spend a semester in London in 1986 “studying abroad” during my sophomore year. It was glorious, and one of the highlights was taking two different theatre classes (Shakespeare in Performance and Contemporary British Theatre) which together involved seeing something like 22 plays in 4 months. Among the highlights were Ben Kingsley in Othello, Jeremy Irons in Winter’s Tale, Sean Bean in Romeo and Juliet (AND his coming to a class session with Niamh Cusack to talk Shakespeare) — and Alan Rickman as Jacques in As You Like It. He made enough of an impression on us that several of us went on our own to see Mephisto (in repertory with As You Like It, with Rickman in the lead role) — one of the only RSC/NT productions at that time that was NOT assigned I think. I was delighted to recognize him in Die Hard a couple of years later and have been a fan throughout his film career.
Fun factoid I just found out today: the shocked and terrified look on the face of Hans Gruber as he falls to his death at the end of the movie was not acting. Rickman reluctantly agreed to do the stunt himself (involved falling backwards 25 feet to an airbag) and was already quite nervous about it; he was told that he would be released to fall on a count of 3. They cut him loose on the count of 1.
As Lois says, constructive criticism in a review doesn’t do any good, since the piece is already published, but what makes it worse is that it comes across sounding as though the reviewer were trying to teach the author how to write. It’s easy to see how someone might feel that its sole purpose was to publicly humiliate the writer.
This seems to be part of what Lou is trying to say, but when he starts to speculate on the character of the people doing it, he goes off into the weeds. The most likely reason for someone offering unactionable constructive criticism in a review is that he/she made a mistake; it’s not that they were “people with a very limited world view who have grown up never hearing anyone disagree with them because of their political, social or financial privilege.”
I also read “On a Spiritual Plain” before most of the hullabaloo started. My biggest problem with it was that I couldn’t suspend disbelief for the premise. I can’t make myself believe that a planetary magnetic field could trap souls and create ghosts, but even harder for me was the way everyone was so blasé about it.
Y’know, as John Seavey said (8:33) fiction is hard. Not just the writing part, but the part that comes after, the rejections, the bad reviews, all the attention paid to books you thought were mediocre at best … And it’s difficult not to take all this personally, to watch as the work you turned out with so much effort gets criticized. To be able to accept that it might not be as perfect as you thought it was.
So, sometimes, I can understand the Puppies. It’s easier, and more soothing to the soul, to throw out all the criticism and decide instead that there’s a conspiracy out to get them — Marxists, Crusaders for Sodom, SJW’s, whoever the enemy is today. Easier, but of course you’ll never learn anything if you can’t take criticism on-board, and decide which parts are worthwhile and should be taken to heart.
My problem with “On a Spiritual Plain” was simply that it was dull and boring. I didn’t care about the concept, I didn’t care about the characters, and there wasn’t enough action to distract me from either of those problems. If I’d read it in a magazine, I’d have probably stopped reading it and skipped to the next story, and promptly forgotten it. It did not remotely deserve to be considered as one of the best of the year.
This sentence from Siegel’s article is amusing in light of RedWombat’s story:
Some of the Sad Puppies insist on a conspiracy. This is where you reside when you have only the facts you make up to reference. It recalls Senator Joe McCarthy, who always waved a sheet of paper with the names of the “reds” working in the state department. No one else ever saw those sheets.
Re 10)
Yes, I suppose all of those “reviews” of Ancillary, or lectures on what it means from various home school enthusiasts, really provide an example of criticism simply as a weapon to badger and insult. Or is Antonelli thinking of something different.
@John Seavey
“Pice of Sh*t”? Sounds fishy
cmm –
Yep. Hell I kind of wish it had inspired hatefulness, at least I would’ve felt something when reading it.
Yeah, it’s a shame, because their first few albums were quite good, and the 1978 “In Concert” was nothing less than awsome, but in the 80s they took a turn to something I can’t listen to. Millions of their fans emphatically disagree with me, though, so it’s all good!
The earliest thing I saw Alan Rickman in was The Barchester Chronicles(1982). That had a good cast, with Donald Pleasence and Nigel Hawthorne also giving good performances.
I’m pretty sure Enya had something to do with that …
(I do still occasionally listen to their newer stuff, but much prefer the more traditional/acoustic albums.)
Most anticipated works of 2016:
1. Night Without Stars (Everyone, read The Abyss Beyond Dreams now to get ready!)
2. Everfair
3. The second half of Concrete Revolutio (catch the first half, depending on your location, at Daisuki, ADN, FUNimation, or AnimeLab)
4. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable (for which no prior JJBA knowledge will be necessary)
5. That thing that looks terrible until I try it and it turns out to be awesome. I run into one or two of these things every year.
Gives you hope, does it?
My most anticipated SFF works of 2016:
City of Blades, Robert Jackson Bennett.
Because City of Stairs was a favorite from my past year of reading. Looking forward to a return to that world.
The Edge of Worlds, Martha Wells
Because the Raksura books have been consistently and universally excellent.
False Hearts, Laura Lam
Because I was extremely impressed by Pantomime and Shadowplay. Can’t wait to see what she does next.
Fire Touched, Patricia Briggs
Because the Mercy Thompson books started out hugely fun reads and have stayed hugely fun reads.
Four Roads Cross, Max Gladstone
Because Three Parts Dead blew me away; his subsequent books haven’t yet reached that level again, but I hold out hope.
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, Lois McMaster Bujold
Because I always liked the Cordelia stories the best. Her return as a main character has me quivering with anticipation.
The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home, Catherynne M. Valente
Because this is a charming series of books. And is this going to be the one that ties the last few together?
The Hunter’s Kind, Rebecca Levene
Because Smiler’s Fair was a very good book that seemed to fly mostly under the radar. Very much looking forward to the sequel.
Kingfisher, Patricia McKillip
BECAUSE NEW PATRICIA MCKILLIP.
Mr. Splitfoot, Samantha Hunt
Because I know nothing about Samantha Hunt except for the fact that she has been compared to Kelly Link and Aimee Bender. Good enough for me to check this one out!
The Obelisk Gate, N. K. Jemisin
Because The Fifth Season was a book that took an already very good author up to the next level. Can’t wait!
The Queen of Blood, Sarah Beth Durst
Because Sarah Beth Durst writes awesome books. And maybe this time her publisher won’t [long rant about the sequels to The Lost].
The Spider’s War, Daniel Abraham
Because at last, the thrilling conclusion to this tale of war, blood, and fractional reserve lending!
Truthwitch, Susan Dennard
Because it sounded interesting.
PLUS A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YET!
Oh yes, Abyss Beyond Dreams was amazing. Probably my favourite of the Commonwealth/Void novels thus far.
Most anticipated works of 2016:
“Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen” Lois McMaster Bujold
“The Nightmare Stacks” Charles Stross
By Grabthar’s hammer, by the suns of Warvan, it has not been a good week. 🙁
Rickman could command the screen & stage but I have very fond memories of him & Emma Thompson in “The Song of Lunch” where the acting is understated but perfect.
I’m looking forward to
The Seer, Sonia Orin Lyris
Because she wrote some excellent work years ago and I am thrilled a new book is coming out. Can’t wait to see this.
@YoungPretender: I suspect it’ll be deleted soon, the moderators are good about removing blatantly abusive reviews. (Another of my stories was reviewed with “sucks donkey balls”, and that review vanished within hours.)
(Um, that’s not the kind of review I normally get. Just to clarify. Mine tend to be pretty positive as a whole–which is kind of my point, that anyone can get themselves worked up by focusing on the negative things people say instead of remembering all the nice things. You have to stay on an even keel, or you’ll spend all your time fuming.)
(Did I mention I generally get good reviews? Because I do.)
(The above joke makes another point–you can’t ignore criticism, either. You don’t have to take hatred on board, but getting a swelled head from your praise can paradoxically make you more intolerant of legitimate criticism of your work. “Even keel” cuts both ways.)
(PS. I get good reviews.)
@Lorcan Nagle
Well that has lodged the delightful ending theme in my head. I came to Clannad after Air sucker-punched me right in the feels, and simply adored Fuuko and her story. Didn’t care as much for the rest of the characters, though. I think maybe its visual novel roots were showing because I could tell each named girl in the opening was a potential love interest.
Butbut that ending theme made me smile so much every time.
http://youtu.be/0I6YfDGDOc4
I’ve seen a number of people, both here and elsewhere, recommend Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St. Mary’s series. The first book, Just One Damned Thing After Another, is on sale for 0.99 (also in UK), so I downloaded it from *sigh* Amazon.
(I usually buy from B&N, but they only seem to have the first novel and the interstitial short stories available there. Dammit, authors, stop putting all/most of your eggs in Amazon’s basket! In the long run, diverse revenue streams are better for not only individual authors, but for the writing/publishing industry at large.)
@ Vasha – I KNEW IT
So, um…Lou Antonelli just sent me a friend request on Facebook. Is it okay to be creeped out about that? Because I can’t think of any reason I would get a friend request from Lou Antonelli other than that he’s reading through this thread and wants to let me, individually, know that he has read what I’ve said about him and can find me in other social media. That’s legit creepy, right?
I have to selfishly confess that the explosion of “most anticipated books of 2016” lists makes me anxious that people will have already decided what their favorite books of the year will be before I even know whether Mother of Souls will be a 2016 book or not. (“Still firming up the calender” they say. I have yet to learn a publication date through any means other than seeing an Amazon “forthcoming book” listing.)
Just one more reminder about how the buzz-reinforcement cycle shuts out books on the margins.
No John, I wanted you to know I thought your comment was a hoot and gave me a good laugh. You sound like a nice guy.
@John Seavey: That’s legit creepy, right?
Yes. Yes it is.
That’s legit creepy, right?
Creepy isn’t new to him.
@John Seavey: Was going to pushback and say “who knows? he’s clueless and has no idea how he appears to people.”
Then I checked his FB page, where he writes:
So. I’m on the side of kind of creepy now.
though maybe he really is clueless and thought you seem like someone he wants to be friends with? I actually have no idea. Not sure Antonelli does either.
Actually, that makes me feel a lot better–if he just saw the comment, thought it was funny, and sent me a FB invite because he thinks I’m a funny writer, it’s pretty normal and harmless. (This is actually one of my big problems with FB in general–friend requests just pop up, without any context explaining why they happen.)
@John Seavey
I’d say that means he wants to send you an e-mail so he can talk in private. You can click on the request and send him a message without friending him. In that message, give him an e-mail address to write to–if that’s what you want to do. And then decline the request. (Don’t decline the request first or else you can’t send the message.)
If he “poked” you on Facebook, then it’s okay to be creeped out. 🙂
Edit: given the extra context, I’d say he actually does want to be friends. You made him laugh. I can understand wanting to be friends with people who make you laugh.
@John Seavey
Heh.
@Lisa Goldstein
You’re right — but I can’t help but feel like it’s soothing the way cocaine is soothing — it feels good at the time, but it’s addictive and requires constantly upping your dose. Plus, there’s that downward spiral as more and more of your resources go to feeding your habit.
Also, Alan Rickman was the best part of just about anything he appeared in.
And Mr. Antonelli trying to friend John Seavey on Facebook is definitely creepy. The intended signal seems to be “I’m watching you.”