Origami Unicorn

"Your Destiny Is...

...no longer in question," misquoted below, ushers in Michael Crichton's latest, which is being launched with not one but two book signings in NYC and a full page ad in the New York Times, and also a website and a forum, with some examples of what you can do with Photoshop. It's latest in a series of ads that use the net to infuse fiction with a sense of reality. It is still not going to distract hard core SF readers from the fact that Crichton's ideas have been around for a while but it is fun to play with. In fact, as with Snakes on a Plane, the ads and the commentary may be the most interesting thing about the whole enterprise. One must, however, make allowances for the author's main audience apparently being people who would find real science astounding and perhaps see gene manipulation as distasteful in the extreme.

Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz' latest is to be officially published today. Brother Odd combines horror and humor. The first press run is 650,000 copies for the third in a series. Bantam is confident.

Next

Out November 28, Michael Crichton's Next, with its slogan, The future is closer than you think. Probably not, in our case, but Crichton sells to the mainstream, where his ideas seem fresher and more startling and even worthy of becoming movies.

Grand Master Announced

The new Grand Master is James Gunn, who was informed of the decision by SFWA President, Robin Wayne Bailey, during a lunch at the University of Kansas student union. UK houses AboutSF. Gunn will be formally honored at the 2007 Nebulas, in New York City.

Irwin and Arthur Porges

The two brothers, Irwin, who wrote of Eager Rice Burroughs, and died in 1998, and his brother Arthur, who was a prolific writer of science fiction and mysteries and later in life, poetry, have a family page. Arthur died in May of this year, and his final works have yet to be published. Two long and productive lives entwined with the history of the genre.

Stephen King and the New York Times

The New York Times Magazine article is informative, sure, and there's the peg of a new book to hang it on, but probably the most remarkable thing about it all is the success it represents for Stephen King, who began ashamed of what he wrote, did it anyway, got rich but not respected, retired after an accident, began again, and is back at the old shop, knowing the scariest beast in the universe is—a writer.

Head Games

The debate probably started when the first storyteller sat on a rock near the first fire, but with the growth of games, videos, and simulations in which people play or watch whatever without regard to social convention or even law because it is all imaginary, it has reached a new and fevered pitch.

Take the article in Salon, about Bully, a game where the player tries to maneuver a kid through school without some catatrophe, like his wetting his pants. This is being banned as a possible way for kids to learn how to attack one another.

As if TV had never been invented.

Then there's the theory that the availablity of porn on the net reduces rape, currently an article in Slate. The theory is that since it easier for young males to access the net and conceal their interests from adults they don't act out but instead sit, watching the screen.

Neither of these seems well demonstrated, but as the imaginary becomes realer, they do make for interesting speculation.

Jack Williamson April 29, 1908 - November 10, 2006

Journalist and author Jack Williamson has died peacefully at home.

The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to The Jack and Blanche Williamson Scholarship Fund, ENMU Foundation, Eastern New Mexico University, Station #8, Portales NM 88130. Wlliamsom maintained close ties with his alma mater.

There will be a memorial service held on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University, next Thursday, November 16, at 2pm.

Probably one of the best commentaries on Williamson's career, almost poetic in its language, is John Clute's. And last, a local newspaper—warning, this comes up with an ad with sound, so you might want to hit "mute" before you open the link.

The Creators

Here are the creators of Over the Hedge, plus the news the DVD of the movie is out, and there will be an on-site special something on November twenty-eighth. The voice cast includes William Shatner as Ozzie the Possum.

What Really Happened...

Well, whichever of the team that does the drawing is nowhere as fluid a draftsman as Walt Kelly, although the economy is wonderful, but Over the Hedge for Election Day and Over the Hedge for today bear a distinct resemblance to Pogo. How could that possibly be a bad thing?