Archives for July 2011

Here’s the cover of Z: Zombie Stories, a YA anthology from Night Shade Books that includes my story “The Skull-Faced Boy.” And look, I even made the cover!

My story “Three Deaths” (which will be appearing in the upcoming anthology Under the Moons of Mars from Simon & Schuster) is set in the same universe as this movie:

Here’s the cover for the upcoming John Joseph Adams anthology Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom, which includes my short story “Three Deaths.” All the stories in the book are illustrated — mine by Charles Vess!

Journey Into… is a new podcast by Marshal Latham that features full-cast audio production. The latest episode is part 1 of “Cyberpunk” by D.K. Thompson. Future episodes will feature stories by Tim Pratt, Greg Van Eekhout, and me.

Here’s a cartoon I just found that I really like: Adventure Time.

It’s on Cartoon Network. I don’t have TV, but I ended up watching it randomly at my aunt and uncle’s house, and I liked it enough to buy Season 1 from iTunes. It’s sort of Super Mario Bros. meets Dungeons & Dragons meets Ren & Stimpy. The main characters are a boy named Finn and his talking dog Jake, who possesses an elastic body and who can grow at will to giant size. Jake has the same voice as Bender from Futurama, and is a similar sort of cranky amoral goofball. They live in a magical kingdom full of grotesque characters, including an electric-guitar-playing teenage vampire girl, a rainbow/unicorn, and an ice wizard who’s always kidnapping bizarre-looking princess monsters. The plots are really random and constantly upend expectations, and the heroes often do and say completely inappropriate things. Also, I can’t imagine most kids watching half these episodes without getting nightmares. Check it out.

On a whim I just reread the first few chapters of Phule’s Company by Robert Asprin, which we discussed briefly in Episode 39 of Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy. The novel, published in 1990, contains this pretty accurate prediction of an iPad:

The Port-A-Brain computer system was designed to be the ultimate in pocket computers. Its main strength was that it enabled users to tap into nearly any database or library in the settled worlds, or place an order with most businesses above a one-store retail level, or communicate directly with or leave messages for anyone or any business which utilized any form of computerized telecommunications, all without so much as plugging into a wall outlet or tapping into a phone line. What’s more, the unit, complete with folding screen, was no larger than a paperback book.

Prognostication goes somewhat awry, however, in the next few sentences:

…but there was a small problem. Each unit cost as much as a small corporation, placing it well out of the financial reach of the individual and all but the most extravagant conglomerate executive officers … As such there were fewer than a dozen Port-A-Brain units in actual use in the entire galaxy.