I was all set to post about the new Elysium trailer after i09.com raved about the footage they saw. But, after waiting all morning, I did some research, and it turns out that the trailer won’t be released until 4pm PST/7pm EST. Oh well, tomorrow I guess.
So what will I post about today? I give you a human wearing a dog costume, courtesy of Redditor The-Original-OP.
The end of one year and the beginning of another is usually a time of lists. The best of this, the best of that. Instead of looking back though, io9.com is helping fans of science fiction and fantasy get ready for 2013. They’ve put together a great month-by-month list of all the books coming out this year. You now have no excuse when it comes to what you should read in 2013.
But Eric, I can hear you asking, what about 2014 and beyond? Well, I’ve got you covered there too. George R.R. Martin posted an excerpt of his next book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, THE WINDS OF WINTER (date of publication is 2014? 2015? 2020?). But, like last time he gave us a sneak peak, I’m avoiding it, so I can’t comment on what you’ll see when you read it. I try to keep this blog spoiler-free, but if you want to get a peek, feel free.
I am a big fan of io9.com, as anyone who reads this blog is probably aware. Whether it’s your morning spoilers, weekly comic reviews, or commentary on the latest science fiction and fantasy books and movies, I can’t get enough. One thing I don’t like about io9.com is that articles about writing science fiction and fantasy are few and far between. I know there are sites other than io9.com that cover this topic (more about this later today), but it’s a shame io9.com doesn’t do more of it. Because Charlie Jane Anders (@charliejane) writes some great articles.
Her latest article on io9.com is “How Not to Be a Clever Writer.” Anders offers writers great tips on how not to trip themselves up by trying to be too witty, clever, or slick. As she points out, such efforts often detract from your writing. Readers will tell when you are trying too hard. And anything that takes a reader outside of your story is bad news.
But don’t stop with that one article. Click on the hyperlinks to read other articles by Anders. These include “8 Unstoppable Rules For Writing Killer Short Stories” and “How to Write a Sincere First Draft of Your Science Fiction or Fantasy Epic” (keep that one bookmarked for this year’s NaNoWriMo).
But the article that is at the top of my “must read” list right now is “I Wrote 100 Terrible Short Stories that I’m Glad You’ll Never Read.” In this article, Anders talks about her first efforts at writing science fiction and fantasy. She committed to cranking out short story after short story, but quickly learned that her writing was rather amateurish. But she learned how to identify those errors, and she got better. I love this article because I’m a beginner, stumbling through my first attempts at science fiction and fantasy short stories. I’m also committing to writing more of them. Like Anders, I dream of publication, but I’m far more likely to simply learn and improve. And in the end, that’s probably more important (and far from simple, actually).
So go: read, learn, and improve. And keep checking back with io9.com. And, heck, in addition to her tips, you get some great science fiction artwork with every article as a bonus.
It’s another busy day here, as I wrap up one thing and prepare to start something else, so I’ve prepared a little pop quiz instead of my usual witty remarks. Everyone likes pop quizzes, right?
Question: Which of the following options is the best?
Option A: Comics started by a father, dropped into his son’s lunchbox, and finished by his son while at school (thanks to io9.com for finding this).
Option B: a story in Variety that LEGO has licensed the new Hobbit movies.
Option C: a collection of videos and memories of the recently-departed Christopher Hitchens, as collected by his friend, Andrew Sullivan (unsurprisingly, some NSFW language in some of the video clips).
Option D: a collection of the snowmen comics from Calvin and Hobbes.
Option E: They are all awesome.
Remember to show your work.