Next week I am finally at home for an entire week, the first time, in, well, months, so that makes it an excellent time to finally get around to one of my favorite annual traditions here at Whatever: Reader Request Week! For those of you just catching up, Reader Request Week is w … | Continue reading
Oh, look, yet another stack of very fine books and ARCs at the Scalzi Compound -- and now we're all caught up with everything that showed up while I was on tour (with some other new stuff in there as well). What's catching your eye here? Tell us all in the comments. | Continue reading
Me (answering the phone): This is John Scalzi. Person on the other end: Mr. Scalzi, I'm from your doctor's office. We have the results of the cholesterol test you took earlier this week. The doctor wanted to tell you that your cholesterol is within the acceptable range, that you' … | Continue reading
Spare a moment in your day to think upon my (now) old office chair, pictured above, which is about to take its journey to the great beyond (which in this case is probably a landfill or being trash picked). Krissy picked it out for me in 2010 or so, when I redid the office in… | Continue reading
To inaugurate a new month, here is this lovely stack of new books and ARCs that have come to the Scalzi Compound. What's calling to you from this stack? Tell us in the comments, please! | Continue reading
And you know what that means! In this case, it means me slaughtering Jonathan Coulton's classic song with my own one-take version! (Note: If you've never heard this song, it, uhhhh, has profanity.) And here's the original, if you want to hear an actual professional do it, along w … | Continue reading
I'm catching up on quite a few new books and ARCs that arrived at the Scalzi Compound while I was on tour. Here's the first batch for this week, and there are some gems. See anything you like? Tell us in the comments! | Continue reading
When Stephanie Burgis found what she thought was a magical site, she discovered she wasn't alone in that opinion -- and thus, the fantasy anthology The Underwater Ballroom Society, edited by Burgis and Tiffany Trent. Where was this place and what was the attraction? Both editors … | Continue reading
I liked Avengers: Infinity War and in many ways it's a technical cinematic (excuse the pun) marvel -- it's not an easy job to integrate this many storylines, characters and stars into a single movie and both give them all enough space to do their thing, and still keep the film hu … | Continue reading
I decided this year it might be fun and useful to have an intern here at Whatever, and after a highly selective application and interview process, I have selected who I think is the right person to help me out during their summer break from college. Everyone, meet Whatever's firs … | Continue reading
And there's a very nice sunset to welcome me home. There is one more event, at the Troy-Miami County Public Library, on Monday at 6:30, but it's one I can drive to from my house. So for all the people who came to see me in all the places I had to fly and train… | Continue reading
Honestly it'd be better if that stupid dome wasn't in the way, blocking my view of everything. Tonight: I'm at Politics and Prose at the Wharf, at 7pm. Please come! I understand we may be having the event near a wharf, but I can't say for certain. Please come with life preservers … | Continue reading
Actually more out the window, since I slipped the cell phone out the sill to get the street view. Hello, Manhattan! Tonight: 7pm! The Strand! Come see me! Don't let me be alone! Tomorrow: I'm down in DC at the the Politics and Prose Wharf store. Also 7pm. Come see me in our natio … | Continue reading
Luck is a thing that often happens (provided, of course, everything else falls into place). It happens enough that it caused Bryan Camp to consider its fundamental nature for The City of Lost Fortunes -- in no small part because of the luck he's had in his own life, and what it's … | Continue reading
Inspiring, no? I'm in a hotel where the window looks out to the interior, and also to a wall. But you know what? The room's nice enough, and that's fine. Tonight: I am at the St. Louis County Library! Everything starts at 7pm! Come on down, Missouri! I want to see all of you. Tom … | Continue reading
In today's Big Idea, Nebula Award-winning author Jack McDevitt looks at the concept of alien invasions and how they might not be what we expect -- and how our interaction with alien civilizations might be different than we might imagine -- and how it all fits in with his latest n … | Continue reading
Overlooking Pershing Square. Nifty. And if you don't think the photo has the required amount of parking garage , know that there's a parking lot directly under the square. It's there, all right. It's just subtle. No events today or tomorrow but I will be at the Los Angeles Times … | Continue reading
It's a very vertical view today, because I'm downtown in a major American city. I like it! Tonight: 7pm in the Har Mar Barnes & Noble! Be there! Or don't be, I guess. Although we'll miss you and spend all our time talking about how much our life is incomplete without you. (Note: … | Continue reading
In today's Big Idea, author Jerry Gordon tackles truth, pandemics, religious cults and the possible end of world. You know, as you do. Here's how it all comes together for his novel Breaking the World. JERRY GORDON: In 1993, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians predicted the end … | Continue reading