(1) OOPS. Earth’s most famous genius warned us against talking to strangers. Did we listen? “Stephen Hawking warned us about contacting aliens, but this astronomer says it’s ‘too late’”.
In 2010, physicist Stephen Hawking voiced concern about the possibility that we might contact extraterrestrial life by transmitting signals into space. However, SETI senior astronomer Seth Shostak told us that it’s too late to consider whether we should send such transmissions, because we’ve already been doing it for decades.
Stephen Hawking warned us about contacting aliens, but this astronomer says it's 'too late' https://t.co/O6jQaGqF5w pic.twitter.com/uOGA7P1U3L
— Business Insider Video (@BIVideo) January 22, 2017
(2) CRUSHING IT. Meanwhile, Wil Wheaton gets his own rock.
https://twitter.com/RonBaalke/status/821869370624217090
(3) MAKING THE LEAP. At the B&N Sci-FI & Fantasy Blog: “How Myke Cole Went from Fantasy Writer to Reality TV Star”.
Landon: Myke, congratulations on being cast on CBS’ Hunted. I’m sure like everyone, I’m wondering how in the hell a fantasy novelist ended up being cast in TV show?
Cole: Thanks, man. It’s pretty surreal. Believe me when I say that I’m just as surprised as you are. I’ve spoken about my career in the intelligence services before I got my first book deal. A huge part of that was Counterterrorist “Targeting,” which is a fancy way of saying “manhunting.” I like to think I was good at it, and my reputation clearly circulated widely enough that when Endemol Shine (the production company making the show) was digging around casting for the show, they were passed my name, and then I got a call out of the blue.
(4) QUOTABLE QUOTE. Is a picture worth a thousand words in a case like this?
(5) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY GIRL
- January 22, 1959 – Linda Blair
(6) TODAY’S BIRTHDAY BOYS
- Born January 22, 1906 — Robert E. Howard
- Born January 22, 1934 – Bill Bixby, actor and director.
(7) WORLDCON 75 ACCESSIBILITY HOUSING. The Helsinki Worldcon, after a prolonged silence, announced on Facebook that they have granted all accessible hotel room requests already received.
200 days until Worldcon 75! Hooray!
Still haven’t reserved a room yet for your Worldcon stay?
Now is the time! Our block reservations expire this spring. Check out our hotel page for our current block status: www.worldcon.fi/hotel/
For those of you whom have access or reduced mobility needs, we have an update on Holiday Inn-Messukeskus sleeping rooms:
The cutoff date for requesting a room at this hotel is Friday, April 7 unless the requests surpass hotel capacity before then (which we’ll announce.) Room allocation will begin at that time and is expected to take about 2 weeks, and you’ll receive information from Member Services then about how to finalize your reservation with the Holiday Inn.
All requests to stay at the HI-Messukeskus that have been received up to now due to accessibility/reduced mobility needs will be granted. Details regarding rooms to accommodate differing, specific accessibility needs and connecting those people to the correct room are still being confirmed.
Anyone with questions or concerns about their accessibility housing request should e-mail [email protected] .
(8) THE HORROR. The Horror Show with Brian Keene podcast is about to present their milestone 100th podcast. Keene and co-host Dave Thomas decided to mark the occasion with a special edition of the show.
It won’t be a podcast.
Instead they have gathered a large group of friends, authors, and notables within the horror genre to present a 24-hour telethon-style broadcast. The show is an homage to the old Jerry Lewis style telethon.
In this case, the telethon will be raising funds to support the Scares That Care charity.
The show will begin on Thursday, January 26th at noon and end on Friday, January 27th. It will be broadcast live on Brian’s YouTube channel.
Adds Dann, who sent the item, “As with some other podcasts, adult discussions that sometimes use adult language will probably occur…”
(9) BELLY UP TO THE CANTINA BAR. A writer at SciFiDesign says “These Mos Eisley Brewing Beer Posters Are Making Me Thirsty”.
(10) TWO WRITERS BOLSTER THEIR CAREERS. Fans at home abed will call themselves accursed they were not there: The Joe Hill/John Scalzi pillow fight at ConFusion.
[Thanks to Dann, John King Tarpinian, and JJ for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Camestros Felapton.]
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Rev. Bob,
V guvax lbh ner fgnegvat gb trg gb jurer V unir ceboyrzf jvgu Fuvsg. Gur fpnyrf vaibyirq erdhverq n terngre qrterr bs frcnengvba orgjrra gur fvybf guna nccrnef gb or gur qrfpevorq va gur obbxf. Tvira gur fcnpr erdhverq, gurl fubhyq abg unir orra noyr gb urne gur riragf ng gur bgure cnivyvbaf rira jvgu fbhaq flfgrzf.
Sbe zr, gur fpnyr vaibyirq naq gur pvivy ratvarrevat vffhrf gbbx zr bhg bs gur aneengvir. VZB naq LZZI boivbhfyl nccyl!
V thrff gur guvat nobhg pebff fvyb pbzzhavpngvba gung ohtf zr vf gung crbcyr jbhyq cebonoyl unir orra gelvat gung sebz gur fgneg. Zbefr pbqr vfa’g fb sne tbar sebz bhe phygher gung ng gur irel yrnfg, sbyxf jbhyq unir ortha znxvat n arj irefvba bs gur fnzr guvat evtug sebz gur fgneg.
V nterr jvgu lbh nobhg gur boivbhfyl prafberq Ovoyr. V unira’g tvira vg zhpu gubhtug nf nyy bs bgure ryrzragf unq zr fb sne bhg bs gur fgbel gung V whfg jnfa’g irel vagrerfgrq ng gung cbvag. Gur svefg obbx jnf fb tbbq gung V jnf ubcvat gb svaq fbzr erqrzcgvba va Qhfg.
Vs V unq gb gnxr n fgno ng vg, gur uhoevf vaibyirq va perngvat na rqvgrq uhzna uvfgbel va gur yrtnpl fhttrfgf gung gur betnavmref gubhtug gurl pbhyq trg njnl jvgu gur fnzr guvat jvgu eryvtvba.
“Eryvtvba” vf phyghenyyl ratenvarq rabhtu gung fbzr cbegvba bs gur crbcyr jvyy jnag fbzrguvat. Lbh cer-fryrpg gur tebhc fnirq gb nibvq crbcyr gung jvyy unir zrzbevmrq ynetr frpgvbaf bs gur ovoyr. Lbh srrq gurz gur qehtf gb haqrezvar gurve zrzbel bs gur byq jbeyq. Gura nsgre n pbhcyr bs zbaguf lbh “svaq” gurfr ovoyrf. Gur snpg gung gurer ner fb znal genafyngvbaf bhg gurer znxrf vg uneq gb trg onpx gb n “qrsvavgvir” jbex. Sbepr gubfr gung jvyy abg npprcg guvf noevqtrq eryvtvba gb “pyrna”.
Ibvyn!
See now, if I wanted to start a trend, that would have been ROT47!!
Regards,
Dann
@Dann:
Gur qevir gb svaq n jnl gb pbzzhavpngr jvgu bgure fvybf bayl rkvfgf vs gur vaunovgnagf xabj gurer NER bgure fvybf gb pbzzhavpngr jvgu. Dhvgr boivbhfyl, gurl qba’g. Rirelguvat vf bepurfgengrq gb rafher gung, juvpu vf jul Whyvrggr’f rfpncr bire gur evqtr vf n qebc-rirelguvat, penfu cevbevgl, Trg Guhezna Evtug Abj rirag. Vg’f n guerng gb gur “lbhe fvyb vf nyy gung erznvaf bs uhznavgl” cbfghyngr ba juvpu rirelguvat ryfr erznvaf. Gurl gbbx qbja Fvyb 40 naq gur bgure fvybf vg unq pbagnpgrq sbe gung irel ernfba.
Fb jurgure vg’f cbffvoyr gb pbzzhavpngr orgjrra fvybf be abg, naq jungrire zrpunavfz jbhyq or vaibyirq va qbvat fb, abar bs gung’f eryrinag. Vs lbh yvgrenyyl unir ab pbaprcg bs gur rkvfgrapr bs bgure crbcyr, gur vqrn bs gnyxvat gb gurz arire ragref lbhe zvaq – naq jvgubhg gung vqrn gb fgneg jvgu, lbh arire trg gb gur dhrfgvba bs vzcyrzragngvba. Abobql gevrf gb fbyir n ceboyrz gung gurl qba’g vzntvar rkvfgf.
Shegurezber, erzrzore gung rira guvaxvat nybat fhpu yvarf vf chavfurq ol orvat frag gb pyrna – naq fvapr npgvat ba fhpu gubhtugf jbhyq erdhver n fvmnoyr rssbeg vaibyivat znal bgure crbcyr, vg jbhyq haqbhogrqyl pbzr gb VG’f nggragvba. Vs gurl pbbcrengr, lbh trg n Fvyb 40 pnfr jurer Fvyb 1 fuhgf gurz qbja. Vs abg, rvgure lbh trg n ybg bs pyrnavat be gur fvyb vf va eribyg – naq Fvyb 1 fuhgf gurz qbja.
Do you see a pattern developing yet?
Rev. Bob,
V trg jung lbh ner fnlvat. V’z whfg guvaxvat onpx gb Lrne 0 jura nyy bs gur crbcyr va nyy bs gur fvybf xarj gung gur bgure fvybf rkvfgrq. Ng gung cbvag va gvzr, sne gbb znal crbcyr jrer njner bs gur cbffvovyvgl bs bgure fvybf.
Vs gur fvybf jrer sne rabhtu ncneg naq cbchyngrq ol qvfpergr riragf, gura V guvax lbhe guvaxvat jbexf.
Ohg gur fvybf ner fhccbfrq gb or pybfr rabhtu gbtrgure gung n angvbany cbyvgvpny pbairagvba gnxrf cynpr npebff nyy bs gubfr ybpngvbaf. Gur crbcyr jrer sbeprq vagb gur fvybf ol gur fnzr obzof. V’z jvyyvat gb org gung n aba-geviny ahzore jbhyq or guvaxvat “url vs jr znqr vg vafvqr bhe fvyb, jung ner gur bqqf gung gurer ner bgure crbcyr va gur bgure fvybf”.
Sbe zr, gubfr vffhrf trg pebff pbhcyrq jvgu trb- naq ovb-ratvarrevat* vffhrf gb gur cbvag gung V whfg pna’g fhfcraq qvforyvrs rabhtu gb nyybj gur cybg gb hasbyq.
*Fhpu nf ubj znal fdhner srrg bs ynaq ner erdhverq gb trarengr rabhtu pnybevrf gb fhfgnva gur yvsr bs n fvatyr crefba sbe n lrne. Gur snezf rkgraqvat sebz gur prageny pbyhza zhfg or znffvir! Fb nabgure nethzrag sbe univat gur fvybf sne rabhtu ncneg gung vg jbhyqa’g or cenpgvpny gb ubyq gung angvbany pbairagvba naq/be or noyr gb urne riragf sebz arneol fvybf.
Regards,
Dann
@Dann:
Gur ceboyrz vf, jr qba’g xabj jung unccrarq sebz, fnl, 2052-2060 – naq gung znxrf nyy gur qvssrerapr. Zl gnxr vf gung Fvyb 1 vzzrqvngryl fgnegf hc gur pelbcbqf naq ortvaf vgf svefg fuvsg, juvyr gur bgure fvybf ner gbb ohfl fheivivat gb unir gur yhkhel bs fcraqvat n ybg bs rssbeg cbaqrevat gur sngr bs gur bgure fvybf. Cynag na njner grnz va rnpu fvyb ng gur ortvaavat, unir gurz pynvz gung gurl’ir gevrq gb pbagnpg gur bgure snpvyvgvrf ohg sbhaq ab fheivibef, naq gung gnxrf lbh zbfg bs gur jnl gb “jr’er nyy gung erznva.” V’z cerggl pbasvqrag gur Beqre unq gur fpranevb zrgvphybhfyl cynaarq bhg.
Basically, I’m willing to cut the author a decent anount of slack on the premise, whatever I’m reading. If I’m not willing to accept the starting point as valid, why should I bother reading the book at all? Hence, whatever the unseen Year One plan was, obviously it worked well enough. You may see this as being too forgiving, and maybe so – but it’s how I approach reading any speculative fiction, and it works for me. I didn’t make an exception for this series.
Rev. Bob,
I have the first few in the “Kid Sensation” series, and they’re not bad. Competently written, but there’s a real issue of power creep as the series continues.
@Brendan:
Given the concept behind the Kid, the idea of power creep in the series doesn’t surprise me in the least.
Have you checked out the “Action Figures” series by Michael Bailey? I’ve enjoyed those quite a bit, and am anxiously awaiting the next book.
Rev. Bob,
I agree that readers need to give authors leeway to tell their story. It’s obviously easier in fantasy because the author can wave a magic wand to bridge more fantastic elements. It’s harder in science fiction and much harder when that sf is told in a time reasonably close to our own.
In this case, Shift just hit too many issues for me based on my experiences to continue to suspend that disbelief. As always….YMMV. 😉
Thanks for the exchange.
Regards,
Dann