Fruits of Summer

Warm, sunny days mean ripening fruits. Today I picked my first BIG tomato, a Ramapo tomato that I bought at Mahoney’s this year. Supposedly it’s the original “New Jersey” tomato. It’s an heirloom in the sense that it’s an old variety, but not an heirloom in the sense of seeds gardeners can save. Since it’s […]

Re: Papa Was A Farmer

In Shambling Towards Hiroshima a friend of the hero’s girlfriend was the screenwriter, Brenda Weisberg. In this world, she wrote for 15 years for such stellar studios as RKO, before she rejoined her family in Phoenix and married a jeweler, Morris Meckler. She continued to write and was active in the Phoenix Little Theater. But […]

Re: They’re Made Out of Meat

The remaining Hugo stories have given me a lot to think about, but you know what? I’m tired of thinking. The meat between my ears is tired. So tonight I recommend taking a break and reading “They’re Made Out of Meat,” by Terry Bisson.

Re: Act One

After being disappointed by her recent runs at the Hugo, I was pleasantly surprised that I liked “Act One,” by Nancy Kress. The story asks interesting questions, raises intriguing ideas, and involves you in a world where real people might live. The characters are all grumpy in one way or another but they care about […]

Pretty, pretty sunflowers

The sunflowers are so pretty right now. Some of them are dressing up in russety orange. Honeybees come and meticulously work their way around the rings, getting every bit of pollen and nectar from the flowers. And when the sunflowers go to seed, forget how ratty they look. Goldfinches will arrive and it’s pretty all […]

Re: The Island

There’s lots of sense of wonder in “The Island,” by Peter Watts: the vast sweep of time, glimpses of a mysterious past and hints of a mysterious future. I loved the prologue, which describes building a space highway of wormholes. Then it injects the first sour note by asking to be thanked.

Re: One of Our Bastards is Missing

“One of Our Bastards is Missing,” by Paul Cornell needs more context. I liked the opening, which zooms in across the Solar System, but then it lands in some sort of alternate history British court. And stays there. This puts me off, as I get quickly bored with court intrigue. There’s a princess betrothed to […]

Buzzapalooza on the goldenrod

While I’ve been reading, all sorts of bees have been busy buzzing at the Goldenrod Buzzapalooza.

My 2010 Hugo ballot

I’ve finished my reading for the Hugo nominees. While I’m still digesting what I think and what I want to say about the last few stories, I have sorted out my feelings enough to know how I will vote. As the votes are due by July 31, I’ll try to post the rest of my […]

Re: Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast;

“Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast” by Eugie Foster is utterly otherworldly. It’s a world where every day you put on a mask and the mask determines who you are. The technology built into the mask, as well as powerful pheromones from other sources, control your thoughts, your desires, what you […]