My buddy Brian, who I went to visit on vacation, gave me
this wonderful gift:
That’s right, 500 dinars. I’ll try not to spend it all in one place.
(Actually, I think these are now valueless after the
regime change, but it’s the thought that counts.)
So, I’m back from vacation, had a good time, was over too quickly, yada yada. There’s still a mountain of slush to wade through. Seeing it makes me thankful that we normally stay on top of it rather than let it pile up as some other magazines do. Seeing the huge pile waiting for you when you walk in the office is a definite buzz kill. I like a nice manageable pile that I can work my way through at my own pace without having to think about catching up.
Meanwhile, during my free time, I’m trying to plow through some freelance writing. Seems to me it’s a lot easier to hustle up the work than it is to actually sit down and write it. Actually, the whole reason I’m blogging right now is because I’m procrastinating. I’ve been doing a good job of that all weekend. Well, I was also hoping that writing of some kind might inspire me to do the writing I need to do.
Other news: Got an email from the Worldcon committee rejecting me as being worthy of panel participation. Oh well. I admit that there are plenty of people more qualified than me to talk about just about every subject I’m interested in… except audiobooks. There better not be a panel on audiobooks.
I read today that “VAN HELSING writer-director Stephen Sommers and his producing partner Bob Ducsay have landed the rights to FLASH GORDON, and will adapt a feature film based on the iconic comic book superhero for Universal.”
I am so sick of the way Hollywood seems to grant “SF expert” status to any schmoe who makes a somewhat successful SFnal film, like this schmuck Sommers. The same thing has happened with I, Robot/Hardwired scriptor Jeff Vintar. Right after the first film comes out, you hear about all these other deals in the works about these guys being invovled with other SF projects. This wouldn’t be bad if the right people were invovled, but it always seems to be these guys who wouldn’t know real SF if it bit them on the ass. This case doesn’t bother me as much as some others I’ve seen — I could care less who is invovled with a Flash Gordon movie, as I’d have no interest in seeing it, but it just leaves me with this one terrible question: why? Why must we be subjected to this?
I’m also sick of all these remakes, but that’s a rant for another time.
For all you slackers who didn’t pick up the July issue of Locus, you can now
read my audiobook review column for free at
Locus Online.
For those of you who watched SIX FEET UNDER last week (the 7/11 episode, the one where David’s ex-fiance’s father dies), here’s a question:
Could any of you tell he was about to be struck by lightning? There was something about the direction of that scene that told me it was going to happen–particularly, the way the shot stays inside the building while the man exits. I’ve had this same thing happen when I’m watching a scene and a car blows up (or some other type of explosion happens). Though in this case, there were other clues, such as the rain outside and his theft of the umbrella (thus providing a SIX FEET UNDERish irony to his death).
Is this bad/lazy direction/shot selection, or is it just that we who notice these things are astute observers?
Check this out — Praise for me!
Dear Editors,
Mr. Adams recently wrote a review for one of our audiobook titles, ‘SALEM’S LOT by Stephen King, and I have to say, I was so impressed by it. It is, by far, one of the best audio reviews I have ever read in my time at Simon & Schuster Audio. His description of the narration is eloquent, descriptive, and truly shows him to be an aficionado of spoken word.
Please send our regards to Mr. Adams.
all best,
Theresa Pantazopoulos
Theresa Pantazopoulos
Publicity Manager
Simon & Schuster Audio
For those of you who don’t read Locus–first, shame on you. But if you don’t read Locus and you still want to read my reviews, they will be reprinted on Locus Online in the near future. Stay tuned.
This past week or so of slush seems to have been uncommonly good. I set aside quite a few stories over the past couple days, much more than usual.
Was everyone waiting to send their good stuff until Gordon was away teaching Clarion?
More good news!
Amazing Stories has accepted two audiobook reviews by me for their September issue (which I believe will be issue #2). It also looks like I’ll be contributing audiobook reviews to them on a regular basis, so stay tuned. This, of course, being in addition to my Locus reviews.
Not to suck up or anything, but I have to say that I’ve been very impressed with editor Dave Gross thus far. His suggested edits to my reviews tightened up several spots nicely and really improved them overall.
Sorry I haven’t been posting more recently. Been very busy with freelance stuff. That and haven’t thought of anything interesting to post.
Some good news in the mail yesterday: I received my July 2004 Locus contributor copy (and payment) which features my first audiobook review column. It should be on newstands soon. Go buy it.
Oh, last week Gordon and I saw TV’s The Bachelor/New York Giants QB Jesse Palmer at Liberty Bar & Grill in Hoboken when we were out having lunch. Palmer was having lunch with another rather large gentleman who I assume was a fellow football player, but I didn’t recognize him (looked to be a linebacker or lineman of some sort). This siting didn’t make my day or anything (I will never watch any incarnation of The Bachelor, and I’m not a Giant’s fan), but it was somewhat amusing.
I’m the assistant editor at
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. My
non-fiction has appeared in
Amazing
Stories,
The Internet
Review of Science Fiction, Locus Magazine,
Locus Online,
Publishers Weekly, and
Science Fiction Weekly.
I’m an affiliate member of SFWA,
and served as a judge for the 2005
Audie Awards. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the
University of
Central Florida in December 2000.