Origami Unicorn

The Art Collector

The newspapers didn't make much of it, but Saddam Hussein, in addition to his better-known activities, wrote romance novels and collected art. Rowena was not too terribly happy to find that some of her works were in his collection. Those paintings, and all the rest, now belong to the people of Iraq.

NASA Rocks

Rock and roll aspires to leave low earth orbit, LEO, and we get to listen to a garage band version of what could lead to a major planetary tour.

AMS Bankruptcy

Advanced Marketing Services, the corporate parent of Publishers' Group West, has declared bankruptcy in the District of Delaware. This will affect authors and readers as many publishing houses are owed substantial sums, chief among them Random House, which is owed slightly over forty-three million. The announcement was a heavy blow to the hopes of authors with works involved in the earlier i-Books bankruptcy, since it was hoped that AMS would strike a deal for the works involved. Wells Fargo, which has been extending credit since 2004, declined a request for further assistance. AMS will attempt to reorganize—it is a Chapter 11 bankruptcy—with an operating expenses loan from Well Fargo Foothill.

A Golden Oldie

From Jethro Tull, a thirty-year-old promotional video for "Solstice Bells." Someone had to hand-draw the frames for the animation and it makes good viewing, better listening, but is best for dancing as as we head into the new year. "Ring out those solstice bells!" Here comes the sun.

And the Title Is...

Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows. Author J. K. Rowling is still at work on the book, being both eager and reluctant to finish it.

Merry X-mas, Girl Genius

Just in time for the hoildays, wallpaper, a bookplate, and gift tags from Girl Genius. Thanks to Helen Davis for the tip. Meanwhile, Agatha herself still seems to be in trouble...

Meet Joe Hill

Not the famous singer/songwriter and labor organizer, but Joseph Hillstorm King, who, having won a Stoker without the pull of his father's name, is fully outed with his first novel, Heart-Shaped Box, driven by his publisher's publicity machine and the ease of tracking names and faces across the net.

Joe Hill is Stephen King's son.

So, is the book any good? If you like Stephen King, you will also like Joe Hill. Although the son is hardly a clone of the father, he has benefited from having an expert advisor, and his debut novel is tight yet controlled. Out in February from Morrow, with a storm of publicity building behind it. The first one may sell on curiousity, but Joe Hill may well be able to sell his second without any mention of his father at all.

Which is how he wants it.

Charlotte's Web

Based on the award-winning book by New Yorker writer E. B. White, Charlotte's Web has come to the screen once before as an animated film. This time it comes courtesy of many of the techniques used in Babe, where live animals have the voices of actors. Charlotte herself, voiced by Julia Roberts, is computer-generated. As the trailer credits show, the cast is all-star. However, the final effect, despite an attempt to be faithful to the book, lacks E. B. White's style and charm. After all, he was a novelist and essay writer. So re-read the book, then enjoy the movie—on its own terms. Opened in theaters December 15th.

Eragon

Eragon, the movie, created from the book by Christopher Paolini, opens today in theaters. The book, written by a home-schooled teenager to fill the gap between graduation and college, was first privately printed and sold at genre events, then picked up by Knopf in 2002 and rose to New York Times bestsellerdom. The history and plot of the book are highly derivative of the more familiar Pern series. It is also liberally seasoned with Lord of the Rings, as is most modern fantasy. The movie will fill fans of Anne McCaffrey's books with fervid hope that computer-generated effects have finally reached the point where they might film her rather more complex stories. Meanwhile, most of Eragon is unobjectionable. Opening in theaters today.

Upcoming Nebulas

The 2007 Author Emeritus will be D.G. Compton. Born in 1930, David Guy Compton published his first novel in 1965, and was finishing his latest novel when he received the call informing him he was the Author Emeritus. In between those two dates lies an extensive publishing career, including a Nebula nomination for The Steel Crocodile.