NP: And if you look at most of the set-in-suburbia dramas and soap operas on TV, they set up very unreal expectations. For example in Desperate Housewives, Mike Delfino is a plumber yet he lives in this gorgeous, million dollar plus suburban home. Kids have grown up with this promise of what suburban life should afford that they have no way of attaining for themselves.

CRG: Yeah, and along with the mortgage you get the anti-depressant drugs. It kind of reminds me a lot of Philip K. Dick stories where the characters, they’re taking these drugs because they’re living on Mars and they want to pretend they’re living on earth. It’s like you need the drug to continue the fantasy of the lie. You can’t have the lie without the anti-depressants.

“Many people in the U.S.—perhaps 20 million to 40 million—believe there will be a Second Coming in their lifetimes, followed by the Rapture. In this event, they say, the righteous will be spirited away to a better place while the godless remain on Earth. But what will become of all the pets?

Promoted on the Web as ‘the next best thing to pet salvation in a Post Rapture World,’ the service has attracted more than 100 clients, who pay $110 for a 10-year contract ($15 for each additional pet.) If the Rapture happens in that time, the pets left behind will have homes—with atheists.”

Read the whole story.

David Barr Curtley
David Barr Curtly
David Bart Kirtley
David Barr Kirtly
David Barr Kitley
David Barr Kirty
David Barr Kirtlye
David Barr Kurtley
David Barry Kirtley
Donald Barr Kirtley (in a ToC! Bonus points!)
David Karr Brimley (this one’s actually kinda badass)

British libel laws are so insane that if you lose your case it might cost you millions of dollars and if you win your case it might cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. This essentially gives wealthy organizations unlimited license to terrorize people who are telling the truth and make them shut up. The British laws are so bad that, for example, a Saudi company might sue an American blogger in British courts just because the laws are so unfair there. This is known as “libel tourism,” and it’s gotten so bad that Congress is seriously considering a law to just immunize all U.S. citizens against British libel cases.

There’s currently a campaign underway to get Britain to fix its broken laws. You can learn more and maybe add your name to the petition at the Libel Reform Campaign website.

Alpha grads made a particularly strong showing in this year’s Dell Magazines Award, with Rachel Sobel claiming first prize and Rebecca McNulty, Rachel Halpern, and Lara Donnelly all placing in the contest. Congrats!

The deadline for Alpha 2010 is March 1st. Author guests this year are Holly Black, Timothy Zahn, Tamora Pierce, and Mike Arnzen.

    The catmen and dogmen have been at war for centuries, and Lynx, a young catman, has always been taught that in the last days Cat the Nine-Lived, lord of creation, will return to earth to lead his people to ultimate victory. But when Lynx finds himself present at Cat’s return, it’s not at all what he expected.

From “Cats in Victory”:

    Father Cougar sighed deeply. “As I thought.” He leaned forward, his gaze steady. “How many times must I tell you? Curiosity is the gravest of sins. And now you see what your curiosity has cost us. If you had avoided detection, we could have easily located these dogmen and captured them. But now they’ll be expecting us, and will move on. The danger to those who track them is greatly increased. And what if the dogmen should slip away? You may very well have cost us the great Victory we have awaited so long.”
    Lynx felt ashamed, despondent. Everything Father Cougar was saying was absolutely true.
    Father Cougar shook his head. “Well, there’s no helping it now.” He turned to the scribe and instructed, “Go to the inn. Fetch the templars.” The scribe nodded once, and hurried off.
    Lynx felt awe. “Templars?”
    “Yes,” Father Cougar said. “They arrived this morning. Two of them. Pursuing these dogmen you saw. They’ll want to question you.”
    “Of course,” Lynx agreed at once, his shame quickly giving way to excitement.
    Templars! Holy ones, invincible warriors of Cat. In ages past, their order had eradicated the frogmen, the birdmen, and the monkeymen, and now only the dogmen remained.
    The scribe returned a short time later, leading the templars. They were the tallest, most muscular catmen that Lynx had ever seen. Both wore long white tabards, and upon their surcoats were embroidered the holy form of Cat.
    Father Cougar gestured to them. “Lynx, these are our templar friends, Lion and Tiger.”
    The templars nodded politely. Tiger was brawnier, stern and dignified, with gray in his fur and black stripes around his eyes. Lion had a great tawny mane and seemed almost to vibrate with barely restrained energy. And he was younger, perhaps only five or ten years older than Lynx himself.
    Lion said quickly, “Tell us about the dogmen.”

    The tree-dwelling Archimagus family is bitterly divided between the descendants of Franklin and the descendants of Atherton. Simon, the Franklin clan’s most talented wizard, long ago separated himself from his troublesome relatives. But when he hears that Meredith, the Atherton side’s greatest sorceress, has returned home, Simon finds himself drawn back into the tangled web of family politics. As schemes and rivalries swirl around him, Simon must ask himself: Can he defeat Meredith? And does he want to?