From pp. 331-332 in Caesar and Christ: The famous “panic” of A.D. 33 illustrates the development and complex interdependency of banks and commerce in the Empire. Augustus had coined and spent money lavishly, on the theory that its increased circulation, low interest rates, and rising prices would stimulate business. They did; but as the process…
I came across this passage of writing advice in my reading of Will Durant’s Caesar and Christ (pp. 315): Clearness is the first essential, then brevity, beauty, and vigor. Correct repeatedly and stoically. Erasure is as important as writing. Prune what is turgid, elevate what is commonplace, arrange what is disorderly, introduce rhythm where the…
I’ve been noting over on Facebook my story rejections as they come through (13 so far this year, on a total of 15 submissions). It is heartened to see my friends reply with indignant responses, most of them aimed at the editors, and while I appreciate their sticking up for me, I probably need to…
I picked up and/or pre-ordered a couple of books (Kindle editions, both of them) that I am looking forward to reading as soon as I have cleared the pile of current books and magazines from my desk. Both books are about or tributes to long-standing Grand Master’s of science fiction. The first is Elizabeth Hull’s…
Most people get an enjoyable thrill out of imagining what it would be like to win the lottery. How would they tell their friends and family? They go on a mental shopping spree, spending huge sums of money on all kinds of things. I’ve done this kind of day-dreaming before and it does give you…
Regarding his new film, Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio was quoted by the London Daily Star as saying: This is my first science fiction film. I have a hard time with science fiction. I have a little aversion to it, because it’s hard to emotionally invest in worlds that are too detached from what we know. I…
Today was the first full day of Readercon, and I did my best to get in a full day. One of the things they are doing this year is a series of Theodore Sturgeon readings. The first one today was at 11 am and Sturgeon’s story “It’s Nothing Really” was read by Scott Edelman. I…
I arrived at the Readercon hotel in Burlington, MA around 3 pm, after flying into Boston from Baltimore. Hertz gave me a Chrystler Sebring convertible but–of course–it was too hot to take the top down. The first person I ran into at the hotel was Mary Robinette Kowal, the new Vice President of the Science…
It was three years ago today that I headed off for my whirlwind tour of Europe. What a trip that was!
With Readercon 21 coming up in a week, I decided to move ahead with an idea I’ve had for a little while now. I have a complete collection of the outstanding science fiction magazine, Science Fiction Age and I am very proud of it, since it was the outstanding magazine of its day. A couple…