robinbailey

Associated Press - THE LAST THEOREM

2008-07-23T03:19:56Z

   I had a nice conversation with an AP reporter today who was preparing a story on the release of THE LAST THEOREM. This book by Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl will be released by Del Rey Books on August 5th. It is, of course, the last book we shall ever see from Arthur C. Clarke.

    Not surprisingly, the reporter seemed to have little background in science fiction, the field or the community, but she was attentive and asked interesting questions. I did find myself stressing on several ocassions that THE LAST THEOREM was a collaboration by -two- of the last true giants in the science fiction field. She repeatedly spoke of the book as Clarke's, seeming to neglect Pohl's contribution. I kept trying to drive home that THE LAST THEOREM will not be merely a terrific book (I fully expect it to be), but it will be something of an historical artifact, because it is a noteworthy collaboration by two great men whose careers have spanned the decades of modern science fiction and whose influence, direct or indirect, have actually helped to shape it.

    I believe the reporter was going to contact Pohl for an interview. Perhaps Silverberg, also. In any case, it will be interesting to see how the story finally is presented.

Best,
      Robin.

Worlds of Fun & Campbell Conference

2008-07-11T06:48:54Z

As part of Diana's stroke recovery, she's supposed to get in a certain amount of walking and exercise each day. It's fortuitous, then, that last year during our one annual visit to Worlds of Fun Amusement Park, we decided on a whim to buy season tickets for this year. It's proven a fine place for her to walk. The weeknight crowds are, well, not really crowds. The paved ground is somewhat uneven, which is exactly the kind of therapy her doctors recommend. And we can have a little fun along the way. Especially me. With no lines at all tonight, I rode the Timberwolf Roller Coaster twice in a row.    I rode the Patriot roller coaster once. Then the Spinning dragons coaster. And the Octopus. Oh, and something called the "Thunder Hawk," for which a protective cup should have been issues. I told Diana when I got off that I was afraid I was two inches shorter, and I didn't mean in height. Along with Diana, we rode the merry-go-round, the Flying Dutchman, and the park Train.

We spent a total of $3.50 for a bottle of water. I'm glad this is proving a good place to exercise for Diana, but I also have to admit that I'm kind of having the time of my life. I grew up around carnivals. The best memories I have from a not-very-nice childhood are all of carnivals. I just wrote and sold a story involving carnivals. If I was still seeing my therapist (on hold to conserve money for Diana's medical), I suspect she'd be having a field day with all this right now.

When I got home and checked email, I found an invitation to another theme anthology waiting. I promptly accepted. With the two stories I've just recently sold, and the three more stories now due before October, 2008 is shaping up to be a not-bad year, sales-wise. I just have to make time to get back to the novel.

And I should cut this short and start making my preparations for the Campbell Conference, which starts tomorrow. It's being held in conjunction with the Science Fiction Research Association's annual meeting this year, and the SFRA actually got underway today. But I'll go up tomorrow. There's a mass book-signing scheduled for Saturday, and I've also got a reading scheduled in the afternoon. Despite the cost of gasoline, I expect to commute the distance to KU. Easier to keep an eye on Diana that way if I have to. I'm looking forward to the weekend. A number of writers whom I've never met will be attending, among them, Karen Joy Fowler, Elisabeth Bear, and David Moles. There's also a new writer in Lawrence named Lane Robins who has sold her first book to Del Rey. Nice to have another pro in the area. Kansas City used to be rich in the number of pro sf/f writers around here.

Best,
     Robin

Marriage Equality -- An LJ Fundraiser

2008-07-08T22:15:22Z

I just saw this note from Deborah Ross, and I'm reposting it here, in case any of you aren't aware of it.

Over in LJ, a bunch of cool folks have put together a fundraiser to oppose the California November ballot initiative that would amend the State Consitution to take away marriage equality rights. From July 1 to 15, you can offer or bid on or buy outright all sorts of goodies: from "I'll write fanfic for you" to "I'll send you a care package from NYC" to handcrafted jewelry, authographed books, baked goodies, knitted rainbow sheep, critiquing, research help, and much more.

You can even bid on my offer, an autographed hard back of The Alton Gift.

Even if you aren't buying or selling, the ambiance is worth a visit. Very much like a world-wide-block-party with lots of love.

Here's the link: http://community.livejournal.com/livelongnmarry/

America's REAL Candidate for Change, I Hope!

2008-07-07T20:15:41Z

Okay, word is getting out. I've allowed myself to be drafted. The SFWA Presidency was just a trial run. Now it's time for the REAL thing. Forget Barack Obama. Forget John McCain. If you want a candidate who can make a difference, you've got to elect a candidate who IS really different.

http://tinyurl.com/6zxfgb

Send donations! Send checks and cash at once. Spread the word!

Humbly,
Robin Bailey
America's REAL Candidate for Change, I Hope!

Fourth of July - Worlds of Fun

2008-07-05T20:17:58Z

   Diana, Ron and I ventured out about 6:30 last night to Worlds of Fun.  We have season passes, which we'd been unable to use this year, so far, and Worlds of Fun always has an incredible fireworks display.  Best of all, if you're actually in the park, instead of on the perimeters, you're almost right under the fireworks, so the view is unparallelled.

    We waited until evening, knowing that Diana might not be able to hold up yet. But moving slowly at her pace, we all managed. Getting to the park late, unfortunately, meant parking out in Hell-an-gone, but again, we took it slow. We only rode a few rides - the "Finnish Fling," which is just a big boat that swings back and forth. It unsettled Diana's problematic sense of balance, but she enjoyed it. Then, the train that runs throughout the park. Next, the Merry-go-round. Ron has a strange fear of merry-go-rounds, but he has a deeper fear of being left out, so once Diana and I were mounted up, he eventually darted out and got on the horse between us.  "It's not as bad as I remembered," he pronouced about halfway through. He's a 60-year-old big kid.

    We paused throughout go let Diana rest, eating careful snacks that met Diana's new dietary needs (or didn't screw them too badly). Then, I eleted to ride one of the thrill-rides alone. Again, Ron joined me at the last minute and enjoyed the heck out of it. "It's not as scary as it looks from the outside!" I love him.

    Then the fireworks began. They were spectacular. I took my digital camera and got (I think) some good photographs before the batteries died in the middle of the display. Afterward, we took time to ride just one more ride - the giant "Skyliner" ferris wheel. Unfortunately, the seats didn't allow all three of us in the same car, so Ron rode alone.

    Diana had pushed herself a bit too hard by that point, so we slowly made our way back to the car. The real aggravation was getting out of that parking lot, as everyone else was leaving about the same time. It took us 40 minutes to reach the highway! Still, we generally had a good time.

    I hope all of you enjoyed your 4th, as well.

Best,
      Robin

Waving to all my friends on shore...

2008-07-04T07:44:08Z

Hi, everybody. It's been quite a while since I've come to Livejournal. All sorts of reasons for that, mostly lack of time for all the internet stuff I used to engage in. I had to come by, however, to collect an email address for a friend and thought I'd at least wave at my friends.

Many of you already know about Diana's stroke. That happened early morning, May 28th. She's recovering little by little. She's mobile, but moving slowly. No paralysis, just a total numbness in the left side of her body. That's getting better, though, and she has physical therapy twice a week. We can't say that this was a "light" stroke, but it could have been much worse.

I missed ConQuest this year. Only the second time that's happened. I went to Chicago, instead as part of Digital Simplistics' sales team to an event up there. Diana did attend. it was the first time she'd ever attended a convention alone. Not that she was alone - Selina Rosen and Lynn Stranathan promised to keep an eye on her. Diana had her stroke two days later. I accused them of breaking her. <g>

Two weeks ago, I took Ron to the ER and he spent two days under observation for some undiagnosed stomach ailment. Food poisoning was suspected, and he recovered pretty quickly. But it was very weird to have both him and Diana down at the same time.

I've gotten quite a bit of writing done in the mean time. Sold two stories in the last two weeks. Have another to finish before the end of next week, and still another to finish within the next month. God bless invite anthologies! In addition, I've made some small progress on a new novel. It's a mystery, this time. I want to try my hand at something totally new. I love writing short stories, but I really would like a new book on the shelves.

Speaking of books, I learned this week that Dark Horse Books will republish SWORDS AGAINST THE SHADOWLAND next March. This is my Fafhrd & Gray Mouser novel, originally published by White Wolf Books back in the 90s. The marketing department has just gotten to work on this and contacted my agent and myself for a bunch of information. -Nice- to be contacted by a marketing department for a change. We're also trying to determine if Dark Horse will want to continue with new Fafhrd & Gray Mouser novels. If we can reach acceptable terms, I'd love to do so.

I'm looking forward to the Campbell Conference next weekend. Perhaps I'll see some of you there. And at the end of the month, the Kansas City Science Fiction & Fantasy Society will celebrate its 38th anniversary with a public anime' festival. I expect to attend that.

I hope you're all doing well. Stay healthy.

Robin

Seder, 2008

2008-04-21T02:06:20Z

    I celebrated Seder last night with Ron's family at one of the grandest mansions in Kansas City. I have to say that when we first arrived I felt just massively out of place in the midst of such wealth. I don't encounter many situations that ever put me ill at ease, but this place had just that kind of effect on me.   I don't use the word "mansion" lightly. This place was that.

    But Ron has a very cool family, and they immediately put me at ease again. This was my fifth Seder with them. (The house belongs to one of Ron's cousins, and this was the first celebration in this house.) For a variety of reasons, I found the ceremony this year very moving. There were lines and phrases in the reading that seemed to jump out at me. And the meal that followed the ceremony was quite exquisite. Afterward, when Ron's cousin offered us wine or a cocktail, Ron half-jokingly asked for a chocolate martini. The cousin's bar is very well stocked, and out came all the fixings. Before long, it seemed that everybody was drinking chocolate martinis.

    I have to say, also, that I've never seen an electric martini shaker. Given that a martini should never be shaken more than about 15 seconds, I'm not sure I see the point, but hey -- it's a toy, and toys are toys!

RETURN TO PIXEL-LAND!

2008-04-12T23:24:22Z

Well, some small discussion of LiveJournal this afternoon led me to remember that I haven't really posted here for a while. I thought I should probably touch base. It's actually been a busy period of time, although I'm not sure how much of that business is of interest to many others.

I've finished a story called "The Price of Beauty" for an anthology, and I'm rather pleased with it. It takes a lot of shots at the cosmetics industry, at the emphasis placed on beauty and good looks in our culture, and with the entire concept of "self-image."  In my opinion, mind, it's funny, sharp-witted, and pretty solid.  And it plays around a bit with elements of MaCBETH, which was a plus for me, personally.

I've made additional progress on a new novel. I've kept a bit quiet about this, but I'll mention that it's a mystery. Not an sf mystery. Just a mystery. I'm more convinced than ever of the importance of diversifying my writing in the current market climate. I've done some of that with short fiction lately. "The Return of Don Ramon," for TALES OF ZORRO, is, at its heart, a straight-forward western. And "Touch of Moonlight," for LACE AND BLADE, is, for all its fantasy elements, a classic if condensed romance story. Both stories have led me to seriously consider branching out into those genres as well. They were surprising fun to write, and I've never quaked in my boots about using pseudonyms. I already have half a dozen of thosse in the porn markets.

I've also returned to the gym with a passion. All my injuries seem to have healed. So have Ron's. So about six weeks ago, we plunged back into the weight-lifting. I achieved a personal best record on the bench press yesterday at 220 lbs. This is not, I hasten to add, a single-rep maximum, but a full set of ten presses. Incline bench press is at 165. And my leg presses are up to 700 lbs.  Once again, I have another national professional body-builder for my personal trainer, although not the same one I had at the time of the last Los Angeles worldcon. I'm not quite as big as I was at Los Angeles, although I hope to be by the time the Nebulas in Austin roll around. Interestingly, I seem to be stronger. Which is an acceptable trade-off. Being careful not to incur any new injuries, sprains, or muscle tears, I'm very curious to see just how far I can take this.

The aforementioned Nebulas Weekend is coming up in a few weeks. I've made all my arrangements to attend. I'm spending a couple of nights at the hotel, but also a couple of nights with Brad Denton. Steve Gould will also be staying at Brad's, and I'm really looking forward to spending time with both of them. I only wish there was time to put together a too-much-delayed issue of THE SFWA QUORUM!   (GRIN) Next year, for sure. Now that I'm no longer SFWA president, there's no longer any reason why I should worry about diplomacy and decorum. Or even decency.

Oh wait. Nobody's supposed to know who produces THE SWFWA QUORUM. Gaze deeply into this pixel. You will forget. You will forget...

Children's Literary Festival

2008-03-29T03:49:46Z

I'm just home from an interesting evening spent with my friend, Jane Yolen, at a dinner held by the Reading Reptile. The Reading Reptile is -the- major children's bookstore here in KC, and each year sponsors a national children's literary festival. Jane is one of the guests.

Despite the fact that I've done some young adult work, notably my DRAGONKIN series, this was like stepping into another world for me. I was familiar with none of the "big names," other than Jane, of course. As I browsed among the shelves at the bookstore, I was gratified to see how much science fiction actually was out there for very young ages. The general consensus among so many fans is that sf is a graying field and that we're failing to reach new readers. I'm no longer sure that's true. We may not be drawing young fans into traditional convention fandom, but there are certainly a lot of young-reader sf books out there, and somebody must be reading them. And, of course, fantasy for young readers was ubiquitous.

For the locals reading here, there will be book signings tomorrow. Call the Reading Reptile for the times of those signings. The signings tonight were massively successful.

Off to Fulton, Missouri

2008-03-06T06:30:15Z

Tomorrow, I"ll leave early to drive to Fulton, Missouri. I"m giving a talk on Writing Science Fiction there. I know that a local writers group will be in attendance and at least some students from the college sf club, and some folks from Columbia and Jefferson City are also dropping down. I've spent the evening preparing index cards for my talk and browsing some of the books about writing sf/f/h that I've collected over the years. That's been interesting. Kate Graf, the librarian there who invited me down, also asked that I bring some books to sell, so I"ve packed up a small carton. Mostly copies of TURN LEFT TO TOMORROW and the three books in the DRAGONKIN series.

I'm taking my new digital camera along and one change of clothes. I'm just planning to meander. I don't have to be in Fulton until five o'clock, and I hope to get a few photographs and visit anything of interest that catches my eye along the way. Don't know if I'll come back tomorrow night or stay overnight someplace and return on Friday. I just wanted to make this trip without any schedule beyond the talk. I think it's going to be fun.

2008 SF Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

2008-03-03T03:40:02Z

The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame has announced the Hall of Fame Inductees for 2008. They are William Gibson, Richard Powers, Rod Serling and Ian & Betty Ballantine. Inductees are selected from four categories: literature, art, media and an "open" category. No more than two inductees may be selected from any single category.

Normally, only four inductees are named each year, but in a break with tradition, judges decided to induct Ian and Betty Ballantine together.

The Hall of Fame Induction Committee for this year's event were Nancy Kress, Charles Stross, John Picacio, Michael Cassutt, Ellen Datlow and Ellen Asher with chairman, Robin Wayne Bailey.

The Induction ceremonies will take place at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington on June 21, 2008 in conjunction with the Locus Awards Weekend.

One Gorgeous Day In KC

2008-03-02T04:09:44Z

What a gorgeous day! I left the house at 11:30, headed for the gym, wearing a long-sleeved tee shirt and an outer shirt. The jacket I was carrying promptly went into the back seat with the gym bag. After an intense, heavy-duty leg workout, I emerged from the gym at 3 o'clock to find a warm wind blowing and weather in the 60 degree range. Ron and I then grabbed a light bite to eat and caught an early showing of JUMPER. When the movie ended and we came back outside at 6 o'clock, it was still warm and breezy.

I could use a few more days like this! Seasonal Affective Disorder - begone!

An Extraordinary Week

2008-02-26T04:14:55Z

    It's been a pretty exraordinary week. As I mentioned previously, my page proofs for "The Return of Don Ramon" in TALES OF ZORRO arrived. My author's copy of LACE AND BLADE, with my story, "Touch of Moonight," arrived. I finished three chapters on a new novel - a mystery this time. And I discovered my story, "The Children's Crusade" had made the final Nebula ballot.

    Calls my good friends Steve Gould and Brad Denton convinced me that if I valued my arms and legs, I'd find a way to make it to Austin for the event, so after juggling some other springtime plans, Diana and I made our airline reservations and our sleeping arrangements. So we're going to the Nebs. I'd give anything to be able to take Ron, also, since he was with me when I wrote the story in Fort Lauderdale and loves it, but that just won't work out as his business travel can't be changed as easily.

    Have also begun work on the DSI newsletter for this quarter, which always means a nice influx of cash. And begun work on a story I have due for another anthology April 1st. So it's a productive time. In addition, all my recent injuries finally seem to have healed. I returned to the gym for serious weight-training last week (had just been puttering around for the past six weeks), and really ramped things up today. No weight records yet, but I executed three complete sets of bench press at 185 lbs today. It's not my usual 225 lbs, but hey... I've been off! I'm pleased. And tomorrow night - I return to karate. I've been getting personal notes from my two primary sensei in New Jersy and LA, and I've found them encouraging. I drifted away from regular practice this past year - owing to all those injuries -. But there's a major martial arts event later this year for us. They'd really like me there, and I'd really like to attend. I foresee some foot blisters in my near future. <g>

    And In a week I have a speaking gig at the library in Fulton, Missouri. So, life is good.

Some Days You Just Feel Like a Writer

2008-02-22T00:16:26Z

Today is a good day. Early this morning, I finished the third chapter of a new novel. A little later, I found the galley-proofs for my ZORRO story waiting in email, looked those over and fired them back - only one typo. And late this afternoon, the mail brought my author's copy of LACE AND BLADE, which contains my story, "Touch of Moonlight."

As I said on a local list, it rather makes up for those other days when I sit in front of this computer and ask myself, "What the fuck am I doing here?"

Researching 38 Years Ago

2008-02-20T05:23:15Z

It's been a strange couple of days. It began with a mistake. I let myself get sucked into a gun control debate on www.kcstar.com. The site contains as pathetic a nest of vipers as I've ever seen. Having been there only a few days, I didn't appreciate the numbers of trolls. The conversation was sparked by the shooting at Dekalb University near Chicago. Naturally, several of the loons took it as an opportunity to boast that, had concealed carry laws been in place, the shooter would never dared have shown his face. Never mind that he was mentally ill and, therefore, not rational. It proceeded from there to declarations that armed citizens were the only answer to these kinds of shootings. Followed by the boast that they, themselves, would have taken that dude out pronto, you betcha.

I had the temerity to point out that even professionals -- police, federal agents, soldiers, etc. -- regularly miss when discharging their firearms in stressful life-and-death situations. Worse, they sometimes misinterpret things and shoot innocent people. I provided pieces of news articles and links to complete articles. One of the stories involved a Jamaican immigrant in New York named Amadou Diallo. Four policemen stopped him. But he didn't speak English. He reached for his wallet. Police thought he was reaching for a gun. Almost fifty shots were fired, killing Diallo. Half those shots went into walls and doors.

Another story involved police again. This time a group of them shot a man from Trinidad who, when ordered to turn around, had a hairbrush in his hand. Over twenty shots were fired. Half of them went into the walls. Yet a third story involved a black man coming out of a bar after his bachelor party the night before his wedding. This one's still under investigation, but the suspect was unarmed. Police fired over 50 shots, killing the suspect, wounding two bystanders, and striking houses and shattering windows nearby.

And this was where the past days went weird. I also mentioned my own personal experience. In '69, I got caught in a crossfire between a group of police and FBI agents in the parking lot of a place called Harold's Restaurant and Lounge. One police officer died. Both criminal suspects were wounded. One of them was on the FBI Ten Most Wanted list. I wound up giving deposition testimony in the case. So did the high school friend who was with me. Because of our ages, they didn't want to put us on the stand at trial.

Well, one of the trolls attempted to google my story. All they could turn up was a PITCH MAGAZINE restaurant review by that well-known historian, Charles Ferruzza. And it was a review for the HI-WAY, which is the business now in place where Harold's used to be. Unable to find anything substantiating my story, this person declared me a liar.

Now, having lost some memory during my cancer chemotherapy, I took this rather weirdly. I decided to begin googling myself. And found next to nothing. Granted, it was 38 years ago, and I didn't have specific dates, nor even complete names. I knew the FBI suspect was "Ray something." Or "something Ray." I knew the police officer who was shot was "something Whitsett." Beyond that, I didn't remember much.

I happened to pass the HI-WAY yesterday and, on a whim, went inside. In an astounding bit of coincidence, the wife of the original owner was also inside eating a bowl of chili. She was astounded that anyone remembered the shooting. She didn't have many more details than I had, but remembered that TRUE DETECTIVE had done a three or four page story on it. Great. Off to Google again. Try finding a 1969-70 issue of that lurid magazine! But it was fun to talk to her.

Later that night, her son called me. Her son and I graduated together, and we had a good chat about a lot of stuff, including the shooting. I hadn't seen the son since high school. He promised to dig a little and called back later with an approximate date, but not a specific one.  And his mother called me again today. She'd spent her evening digging through her old scrapbooks to see if she had anything. She had thought she had a newspaper clipping, but she couldn't turn it up. But she put me in touch with yet another old high school friend. I didn't recall much, either, but again, it was good to catch up.

Today, I've googled FBI Most Wanted lists, spoken with a contact at the KC Star only to learn that their archives only go back to 1989, spoken with the duty officer of the KC branch of the FBI only to be told to call back tomorrow to speak with a specific person, but suggesting I'd need further information. Even Diana got in on the fun tonight, googling up a "memorial page" for slain Kansas City police officers. The weird part there was that we couldn't turn up any "Whitsett," although both the mother and the son agreed that was the right last name.

In short, I became obsessed with re-discovering the facts of this story. Googling won't do it. And memory, alone, is obviously a tricky thing. Tomorrow, I talk to the FBI duty officer. I'll contact the North Kansas City Historical Society. I may try to paw my way through the micro-film at the KC library.

And I used to think that SFWA was fun.

Best,
     Robin

I'm Endorsing Hillary Clinton

2008-02-05T02:55:55Z

As the subject line says. Tomorrow, I will get up early and go with Diana to the polls. Happily and without reservation, we will both cast votes for Hillary Clinton. I can support Obama, should he advance to the general election, instead of Hillary Clinton, but I believe she is the better choice.  I've followed the debates and the campaigns assiduously. I've been to both their webpages regularly.

Obama has a "vision." Visions are nice. Visions can be inspirational. But a trip to his website reveals that his concrete plans for enacting any of the "change" he proclaims are nebulous at best. A trip to Hillary Clinton's website reveals a candidate who has given thought as to how "change" can realistically be enacted.

Clinton is a tough cookie. Some people, of course, interpret that as "bitch." It's the two-edged sword of being a woman with both edges pressed against your throat. If she's too soft she ca't possibly be a tough president. If she's too tough, then she's an unlikeable bitch. But frankly, I don't care about "likeability" anymore. A lot of us might agree that George Bush was "likeable." We could go to the corner bar and have a beer with him. But the likeable good 'ol boy has been a disaster as a president.

And in that regard, Obama reminds me of Bush. Likeable. Inspirational. But I was really put off when he declared in debate that he wasn't long on hands-on administration, that he would hire the right people to handle the details of enacting his vision. Sorry. But that was Bush's approach.

So I'm voting for HIllary Clinton. I hope that many of you will also vote for her. It's time we had a woman in the White House. Either Clinton or Obama represent change, and certainly either one will be a vast improvement over what we've had for the last eight years. But Clinton brings an authority and ... yes, I'll use the word... experience that can make the changes she represents happen.

Best,
   Robin

Theater of the Mind

2008-01-20T21:14:18Z

For years, I've collected old-time radio programs. Stuff like THE SHADOW, INNER SANCTUM, DIMENSION X and X-MINUS ONE, SUSPENSE, and all the great radio mystery, horror and science fiction programs. Of a few occasions, I've presented panels and radio-listening programming at conventions or at club meetings. I simply love the medium. I used to trade radio shows with people all across the country. And no, we never worried much about copyright when copying the shows for each other. Half the time, you wouldn't have been able to locate the owner of the copyright.

It used to be very hard to locate certain radio shows, too. They were lost or so obscure that you had to make contact with just the right collector. For me, the FU MANCHU radio series proved almost impossible to find.

Thanks to the internet, however, all that has changed. A few Kansas City fans have recently gotten bitten by the old-time radio bug and, being very internet savvy -- much moreso than I am -- they've managed to amass collections far larger than the few thousand tapes and shows I've been able to acquire in twenty years of dedicated collecting.

This is both irksome -- and delightful. Irksome when I think of all the sources, contacts, clubs and private collectors I used to have to track down, all the nostalgia magazines I had to scour, all the obscure oddball shops I used to visit in my travels. Collecting was -work-. And among radio collecting circles there was a certain cache in having, say, a complete run of THE SHADOW or THE HERMIT'S CAVE.

But it's also delightful that all the hard-to-find radio shows I haven't managed to locate are now so easily available at the touch of a few keystrokes. The entire run of the FU MANCHU series is now in my hands. So are some shows I'd never heard of, such as the British PLANET MAN, which is wonderfully campy. It's delightful, too, to think that maybe, just maybe, a lot of newcomers are discovering the sense of wonder that old radio provokes.

This year, the local ConQuest Science Fiction Convention, which has been held on Memorial weekend for the past 35 years or so, will run an entire track of old-time radio programming. Local fan, Mike McCain is oganizing it. I"ll be assisting where I can. If some of you reading this are attending the convention, I hope you'll check it out. If you have friends or know of people who are old-time radio fans, let them know, too.

And if you haven't sampled much old time radio, do yourself a favor and explore www.live365.com. Along with a wide variety of music, you'll find a massive store of old-time radio theater. Just turn your lights down low, sit back and close your eyes.

Best,
Robin

Japanese - Stuffed

2008-01-19T05:09:49Z

Last night, Ron and I had dinner at Matsu's in Westport. This is a restaurant that just gets better and better with every visit. We had a sashimi sampler, salads, miso soup, tofu steaks, rice, and a large pot of sukiyaki don. We shared everything, including a large warm sake bottle. It turned out to be way too much food, but every bite was incredeible.

Tonight, Diana and I planned to attend a jazz session at the Blue Room, but we needed dinner beforehand. We wound up back at Matsu's. I thought I'd eat light - just another sashimi sampler, a salad and miso soup. But Diana doesn't like sushi or sashimi. She ordered alligator tempura with salad and miso. And then she got adventurous. I encourage adventurism, especially at restaurants. She decided to try the tofu steak after I'd raved about it. She also stunned me by deciding to try some sushi rolls. After studying the various options, she ordered the lobster roll, which came in an order of eight pieces.

Needless, to say, she couldn't finish everything, and I wound up munging some of the alligator and more than half of the lobster rolls. But we both agreed it was all magnificently delicious. And having gotten several of the lobster rolls down her, I hope to introduce her to a wider variety of sushi sometime soon. Samshimi may be too much to hope for - she still cringes at the raw fish. (g)

Unfortunately, she didn'tfeel like doing the Blue Room afterward. She's been in considerable asthma distress most of the week. But getting her out for dinner was definitely a good thing.

Winter Wonderland

2008-01-17T10:01:10Z

     Despite the best predictions of weathermen at the beginning of winter who said that this would be a "warm winter," reality is proving obstinate. We're getting pounded by yet another snow storm, and this one is fairly spectacular. I don't know how many inches we've gotten tonight. I shoveled a path down the driveway once for tomorrow's postman, but it's already completely covered over again. I'm not going to bother redo-ing it, because the snow is still falling without any sign of letting up.

    As annoying as it is, and as much as I hate winter, I took a drive a short time ago with my new digital camera along. I got a number of intersting pictures, but some of the shots I really wanted just wouldn't work, because the flash would reflect of the big snowflakes. Still, the drive was worth it, if only for the views. I stopped by a Walmart while I was out to try to photograph the flag that was whipping in the wind. The snow was really sparkling off the lights beneath the flag. But it just wouldn't capture for me. I decided to go into the Walmart, and found it kind of eerie to be the -only- customer there!

Alumni - S&M University

2008-01-13T00:19:20Z

Had a very nice lunch with friends Allison Stein and Mike Higgins today. Allison administers my website, and we talked about some updates, among other stuff. The Panera's baked potato soup was pretty terrific on what turned out to be a very cold day. The turkey sandwich - well, it was a turkey sandwich. The company was the best thing.

After lunch, Diana headed to the World Market to shop. I headed up into the Heart of Westport to pop into a few shops. At one, I found a tee-shirt on sale that I couldn't resist - black with "S&M University" splashed across the chest. Seven bucks cheap, and it is now mine. Muhahaha!

I'm on the Nebula Preliminary Ballot

2008-01-11T01:55:16Z

    Well, now I can officially brag - although in a modest way, of course. The final version of the Nebula preliminary ballot was just posted on sff.net, and my novelette, "The Children's Crusade," has made the cut. I'm chuffed, naturally.

     And naturally, the novelette category and the novel category have really stiff competition. There are only five entries in the novella category, so they will all make the final ballot. And only seven stories in the short story category. Allowing for a couple of ties, they could all still make the final ballot.

      But there are 13 novelettes in that category. Whew! I'm particularly proud of this story with it's anti-war message at this time in our history. Science fiction doesn't always have to be escapist candy. I've written my share of that. But this story is different, and whether it makes the final ballot, or not -- and I'd be jubilant if it did -- I'm just grateful to those of my colleagues that noticed the story and put it on the preliminary. To those of you who might be reading this -- thanks. And to Jim Hines, who bought the story for HEROES IN TRAINING, and who promoted it, a double dose of thanks.

Best,
     Robin

Ebay Junkie

2008-01-11T00:42:40Z

   Well, I've made my first venture out onto Ebay this afternoon.  With the help of a friend, Mike McCain, I set up a paypal account and listed my first item. It hasn't appeared in the listings yet, but here it is -- voila'!

George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones Signed 1st Ed
Item Id:               150204481128
Starting price:        $250.00
End time:              Jan-17-08 12:46:08 PST
Listing fees:          $3.95

   The book is signed by George and absolutely pristine. I see other copies going for as high as $750, but I figure start the auction low and just see what happens. I've just put the one item up until I get a feel for the ebay environment. Then I'll think about posting some other collectible items. If it sells, I have a special project for the profit.

Drug-Crazed Naked Man Attempts Break-In at Fantasy Author's Home!

2008-01-07T07:04:27Z

(Copied from sff.net)

Heh. Got interrupted before I could finish the story. But last night about 4 a.m., Diana heard a loud crash at the door. She was still awake reading a romance (I'm sorry - I tried to raise her better), and rushed downstairs to see what it was. Several crashes as she got there. She hit the porch light and peered out the window to see an almost completely naked man on the porch.
He still had ekg patches stuck on his body. Nothing but a hospital gown bunched up and tied around his waist.

She screamed for me to wake up and grabbed the phone to call 911. I dived downstairs with the closest weapon at hand - an oak bokken - and flung open the door, but the would-be intruder was already running away and swiftly disappeared.

The police arrived double-quick. They were already combing the neighborhood for the guy. Two squad cars first, then a third. With a helicopter overhead.
Soon, the block was crawling with flashlight-wielding officers. Turns out the guy had a number of felony warrants against him. He was high on drugs when the cops originally busted him earlier in the evening, and they'd taken him to the ER at the hospital on the other side of our small forest. But he'd escaped in nothing but the gown. And apparently he was a pretty good little weasel, too, because they still hadn't caught him as of six a.m. or so.

This morning, we noticed that the door on our backyard shed was open. It's always locked, and I'm not sure what the heck a naked man might have used to break into a metal shed. But he'd neatly unfolded one of the deck chairs and made himself comfortable there for a while. That was probably about 2:30. I remember hearing a sort of faint boom about that time, but with a hospital not far behind us and a rail yard about half mile away, faint booms barely register anymore. That may change for a while.

I don't like guns much, although I can shoot. I may reconsider that, too. Meanwhile, the place where the bokken usually rests is now occupied by my favorite cho sword.

Best,
Robin

Margaret Cho

2008-01-06T07:54:31Z

Ron and I went to the Majestic Theater's Comedy Improv tonight to see Margaret Cho. We had dinner at Swagat Authentic Indian Cuisine before hand - which brings me to wonder if there's such a thing as "Inauthentic Indian Cuisine." Why do so many ethnic restaurants feel the need to label themselves "authentic?" Okay, I get some amusement out the the nearby Mexican restaurant that's owne and run by a Korean family, but you know, the tacos still taste just like tacos.

But getting back to Margaret Cho. She was hysterically funny. This is the second time I've seen her in live performance. She's very raw. Very sex-positive. And very scatter-shot. No single focus to her act tonight - she was all over the map. Perhaps the funniest portion involved her commentary on "Miss Larry Craig." She was merciless as she mocked his wide stance, his foot-tapping (morse code for "I want dick!") and all his other foibles. Actually, I can't think of a favorite part of her act. She was just as merciless to Ann Coulter.

If you have the opportunity to see Cho, don't miss her act. She's also had several specials on HBO, LOGO, and a number of the other cable channels. And has several dvds available for rental or purchase. She's well worth the price.

The Huckaboob

2008-01-03T01:37:48Z

   The Huckaboob - my personal nickname for Governor Huckabee, the would-be presidential candidate. He's turning into the new Reptilian ... pardon me, Republican ... gaffe master. Yesterday he criticized unions, and the NEA teachers' union in particular, Today, he announced that he'd be leaving Iowa early before the caucuses so that he could appear on the TONIGHT SHOW. He added that he was particularly glad that the TONIGHT SHOW had settled with the Writers' Guild -- which is a union, I hasten to point out -- because it meant that he wouldn't have to cross a picket line.

    This man who would be president is a fool. THE TONIGHT SHOW has -not- settled with the Writers' Guild. The LATE SHOW has. They are not the same shows.  To keep his appointment on the TONIGHT SHOW, the Huckaboob will have to cross that picket line.  If he crosses it, and the indications are that he will, HUCKABOOB IS A SCAB.