What did you blog about today?

[Juliana]

(Sorry for double posting!)

this is my first actual energetic effort at a "real" blog

Looks good! (And you have great taste in Wordpress themes... - I think we chose the same one?)

p.s. My understanding this is for people to post updates of what they've been blogging that may interest people, which normally means SFF related but no one's been kicking off about non-SFF stuff. A sustained conversation about blogging may possibly be better off in its own thread.

I agree, on both counts!

But what do I know? I'm just doing this as an excuse to post funny cat pictures.

And what would we do without them? (Good blog post, by the way.)

2016 was a good year for TV, science fiction TV in particular: My Top TV Moments & The New Stuff That Surprised Me in 2016 – JohnJFalco.com

Nice list!

Result of the cover poll (thanks to those who voted):
Thaddeus the Sixth: And the preferred cover is...

Sorry I missed this, Thad.

JoZebwrites: right. You wrote it. Now sell it. - link to above. Oops.

Good reminder to all of us. Thanks, Jo!

 

[J-Sun]

Looks good! (And you have great taste in Wordpress themes... - I think we chose the same one?)

Thanks. Seems like we did. Interesting blog post, too. There was a thread here somewhere recently which I think was actually about something else but then wandered into off-topic territory so I can't find it, but it discussed why women liked bad boys which seems kind of related though I think it settled on the idea of redeeming them and facing monsters or something, rather than your more "not really bad guys" idea. Still, if you have better luck finding it than I did, you might enjoy it.

 

[Juliana]

Thanks! Will see if I can find the thread.

 

[HareBrain]

This one?

Perceptions of equity in sff

 

[J-Sun]

This one?

Perceptions of equity in sff

That's it! Thanks. Hopefully Juliana will find it of interest. The digression actually starts at post #56, I guess, but your post does make the "defeating the monster" point I was remembering. You'd think typing in "redeem bad boy" or something to that effect in a google site search of the chrons would have turned up that thread, but mysterious are the ways of the search engines.

 

[Juliana]

Interesting, thanks for the link HB, and for pointing it out, J-Sun.

I was thinking more 'faux' bad boys (and girls) though; the ones who at first appear to be bad but turn out to actually be rather squishy. (No converting necessary...)

I suppose that next I'll have to do one on fake nice characters; ones who turn out to be snakes. HB's Ranga from The Goddess Project comes to mind!

PS. (and not really wanting to derail the thread) I'm not a fan of the redemption trope unless it's really well done. And not in real life, either.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Tommy Catkins…

 

[The Big Peat]

Tommy Catkins…

A definite 'Shut up and take my money' book idea that.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

A definite 'Shut up and take my money' book idea that.

Really enjoyed writing it. I won't know if it's any good though 'til I go back to it - summer, maybe…

 

[Cli-Fi]

STD isn't just plagued with problems it seems to be a thorn in CBS' behind! Maybe there's a reason fans are calling it STD : When Should We Expect The Star Trek: Discovery Trailer? – JohnJFalco.com The following entry highlights all the problems I have with the Marketing of Star Trek Discovery, which has been widely discussed here: Star Trek: Discovery - new series in 2017

 

[Steve S]

I've just posted an interview with a certain Brian G Turner, discussing SFF Chronicles and Gathering – Chronicles of Empire!

 

[The Big Peat]

That reminds me, there's a book I need to try again... *coughs, looks guilty*

 

[Cli-Fi]

American Television channel, Showtime seems to be leading the TV race to embrace America's Heartland: Is ShowTime the Only Network Ready for Post-Trump America? – JohnJFalco.com

 

[J-Sun]

Found another story I liked, so pointed it out: Rec: "The Dark Birds" by Ursula Vernon. Also, since Neil Clarke announced the table of contents for his year's best SF/F volume to complete "the big four," I updated Links to Stories the Big SF/F Editors Picked As Their Favorites of 2016.

(Not today (the 6th, actually), but just because I don't want to leave it out, I also liked "A Series of Steaks" by Vina Jie-Min Prasad.)

 

[Cathbad]

My review of Gary Compton's novel.

Cathbad's F&SF Short Story Blog: The Fourth Reich: Head of the Snake

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I blogged about forums and being new and how they're all very different.

JoZebwrites: On forums.

 

[The Big Peat]

When I come to power, people who start talking about their book the moment they join a forum will be forced to dress in clown suits with a buzzer that plays "I have no social graces" when anyone shakes their hand.

 

[Susan Boulton]

Forums can be great, but one thing I have learned over the years is to use them sparingly. I learned the hard way that not all members are what they seem to be. You can make friends for life, but you can be dragged into very dark places, bullied and used. When I first started writing on forums (back in 1999) I was too open, too trusting. Now well, I lurk more than post, and rarely post my opinion on anything.

This maybe makes me look a bit stuck up, or uncaring, but to be honest it is a defence mechanism. Once bitten so to speak and never going down that route again.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Meanwhile, Captain Finger-on-the-Pulse has reviewed a book about discord between a wealthy, privileged elite and the hard-pressed plebs:
Thaddeus the Sixth: Review: Rome and Italy, by Titus Livy

 

[TWErvin2]

I blogged about forums and being new and how they're all very different.

JoZebwrites: On forums.

I have a list of forums I regularly visit...they can be a drain on time--writing time, but as indicated, they have benefits and can be worthwhile.

I just posted a short blog post, giving my total of words published (fiction) approaching 1 million. For those interested, it's 866,000. Better than some, far behind the pace others have set.