Robert J. Sawyer

The 25th-anniversary DVD of WarGames is well worth picking up. It’s only about $12, and it’s a beautiful new transfer of the film — much, much nicer than the previous DVD edition. Also, the new making-of documentary is really quite good, and, to my delight, spends a lot of time interviewing the writers (often given short shrift in such things).

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s one of my favourite films, and it holds up to repeated viewings.

It’s fascinating to think about John Lennon in the Stephen Falken role, as the writers originally hoped, but the actor who actually did play Falken, Tony Award-winner John Wood, totally owns the part, and the rest of the cast is spectacular, too. And, now that I’ve been to NORAD, the film is even more special for me (although the complete lack of Canadians or Canadian flags in the WarGames NORAD scenes is unrealistic, of course — it is a joint Canada-US venture).

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

The late Sir Arthur C. Clarke has always been my favourite science-fiction writer, and Frederik Pohl’s Gateway has been, for decades, my pick for the finest science-fiction novel ever written. So when their collaborative novel The Last Theorem was published a few weeks ago, I immediately grabbed it.

And now I’ve finished it. What I liked most about it is how pleasant it is, how civil (almost!) everyone in the book is, and how it manages to hold the reader’s interest without a lot of conflict.

In that sense, it’s a very mature novel: I’ve always held that the standard creative-writing class advice that fiction is about conflict was a childish approach; arbitrarily pitting two entities with opposing interests against each other is the simplest, most formulaic way to manufacture a story.

(As those who’ve read my work know, a lot of my novels really don’t have villains, or, if a villain does exist, he or she is a minor character; there’s no villain in Rollback, for instance, or in my upcoming Wake.)

Clarke and Pohl have taken this to a very advanced degree in The Last Theorem — oh, there’s a little conflict, yes, but it’s mostly good-natured — and the result is uplifting and charming; this is a feel-good SF novel. Enjoy!

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

As of today, I’m wearing bifocals. :)

I tried once before (in February 2007), getting a pair of progressive (no-line) bifocals, but I couldn’t stand them.

My normal workstation is two 19″ LCD monitors side-by-side; with my regular glasses, the entire sweep of workspace left-to-right is in focus through my lenses, but with those progressive bifocals I had to move my head (not just swivel my eyes) from side to side to read text on both monitors.

I hated that, and took the bifocals back for a refund (I usually buy my glasses from LensCrafters, and they do indeed cheerfully honour their no-questions-asked money-back guarantee).

I should have checked Wikipedia beforehand, because I was not a good candidate for progressives. In its entry on Progressive lens, Wikipedia says:

Because of the relatively narrow vertical band of prescriptively accurate optics characteristic of progressive lenses, wearers may have some difficulty becoming used to the co-ordination of horizontal head movement necessary to retain focus when reading across a computer screen or a paper page. This is particularly true when the reading add power is strong (+2.00 or above). The experience has been described as “moving your head back and forth as if you are watching a tennis match”.

And that’s exactly what it felt like!

Well, in March of this year (2008), Carolyn and I had a wonderful dinner with my opthalmologist, Gerald I. Goldlist and his wife Leza; Gerry served as a consultant on Wake (which, as those who are reading the current serialization of the book in Analog know, has a lot to do with eyesight). Before dinner, he gave me a new prescription, but I’ve just been too darned busy (and on the road too much) to get if filled.

But I finally did, and today I picked up the glasses. And, so far, they seem excellent. It’s wonderful to be able to read a book or menu (Carolyn and I went out to Canyon Creek, one of our favourite restaurants, after picking up the glasses), and to be able to look up at my monitor, then down at my keyboard (I never can find the damn ampersand without looking for it), with everything in focus.

Pictured above and below: the frames I chose, Brooks Brothers BB415T Titanium. I expect these to now become as much of a fashion trend as Sarah Palin’s sexy-librarian glasses are … ;)

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

I’m delighted to report that my short-story collection Identity Theft and Other Stories is on the bestsellers’ list published by Locus, the American trade-journal of the science-fiction and fantasy fields, for a second consecutive month.

Last month, it was #3; this month, it’s #5 (tied with Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policeman’s Union).

I’m particularly pleased because both last month and this month, my Identity Theft and Other Stories was the only single-author short-story collection on any of the Locus fiction lists (hardcover, mass-market paperback, trade paperback, media-related, and gaming-related).

Here’s this month’s Locus Trade Paperback Bestsellers List (numbers following listings are months on list and position last month; an asterisk (*) means a tie with the preceding book on the list):

SEPTEMBER 2008 (data period: June [List on Locus site]):

1) Spook Country, William Gibson (Berkley) 1 –

2) World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks (Three Rivers Press) 7 2

3) Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury (Del Rey) 1 –

4) Steampunk, Ann VanderMeer & Jeff VanderMeer, eds. (Tachyon Publications) 1 –

5) Identity Theft and Other Stories, Robert J. Sawyer (Fitzhenry & Whiteside) 2 3

*) The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, Michael Chabon (HarperPerennial) 2 4

(Oh, and Mark Kelly at Locus Online has got it right, as above, in the electronic version of this list; the print version incorrectly lists the publisher of Identity Theft and Other Stories as “Robert J. Sawyer Books.” That’s not right; yes, Fitzhenry & Whiteside does publish my Robert J. Sawyer Books imprint, but that’s exclusively for books I’ve edited by other people; any books by me done by Fitzhenry & Whiteside are under Fitz’s Red Deer Press imprint.)

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

As we did last year, Robert J. Sawyer Books and the rest of Red Deer Press will be exhibiting in the dealers’ room at this year’s World Fantasy Convention in Calgary, and there will be an RJS Books room party one night. We’ll be selling all our books, including our latest book, The Savage Humanists edited by Fiona Kelleghan (which is now out).

Got a letter today from James Morrow, one of the authors who has a story in The Savage Humanists. Said Jim: “The anthology has arrived, and it looks beautiful. Cover, fonts, paper quality — all splendid.”

I couldn’t agree more. Book designer Karen Petherick Thomas of Intuitive Design International Ltd. and our in-house production manager Amy Hingston did fabulous jobs, and Friesens, our redoubtable printer, did their usual terrific work.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Today, I’m flashing back to my 1999 Aurora Award-winning science-fiction novel Flashforward.

Flashforward tells of the first experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. Today the first beam was sent around the 27-kilometer-long tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider. There are news reports of it everywhere; here’s one from the BBC, and another from the Associated Press.

Congratulations, CERN!

Flashforward is available in paperback from Tor, as an unabridged Audio book from Audible.com and iTunes, and in a Kindle edition.

More information about the book, including the opening chapters and links to online retailers, is here.

Note: thanks to Tor’s splitting the title into two words on the front cover (but not the back cover, spine or elsewhere), sometimes the book is listed online as Flash Forward, not Flashforward.

Besides winning the Aurora Award, Flashforward also won the Premio UPC (the world’s largest cash-prize for SF writing), received a starred review (denoting a book of exceptional merit) from Publishers Weekly, and has been continuously in print for nine years now.

Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer. Tor Books, New York, ISBN 0-812-58034-6 (and numerous translated editions worldwide).

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Oh, my, yes, indeed. :)

A very, very good day.

Details later, when I can talk about it.

But …

Happy feet!

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

According to the Sacrmento News & Review, that’d be me.

Their full review of Hominids is here. The reviewer is Kel Munger.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

My very conscientious Italian translator, Dario Rivarossa, today asked me what the following phrases mean in Rollback:

“One of my favorite authors once said, `Virtual reality is nothing but air guitar writ large.'”

I’m having a bit of fun there, because the character is quoting me, from my 1995 novel The Terminal Experiment. But as to what the phrase means:

“Air guitar” is what teenage boys who are pretending to be rock musicians do: they make motions with their hands like they’re playing a guitar — but, of course, there’s no real guitar. So, it’s called “air guitar.”

In the movie Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill and Ted play air guitar (pretend to play real guitars) whenever their band is mentioned (see photo above).

So, “virtual reality is nothing but air guitar writ large” means “even the best computer simulation is as far removed from the real experience it is simulating as waving your hands in the air is removed from playing a real guitar.”

It was a pleasure to be able to read for hours without getting eye fatigue, and without having to put on his cheaters.

“Cheaters” is a slang term for “reading glasses” — nonprescription eyeglasses used to magnify printed text. But my use of this bit of slang is ironic, on two counts. First, the character in question has just committed adultery (which is “cheating” in English slang).

Second, it refers back to the earlier question the aliens asked, “Should systems be set up to thwart cheaters at all costs?,” which lays out the moral question of whether in fact the character should be punished for his transgression.

If there’s no comparably ironic term in Italian for “reading glasses,” we’ll have to just forgo this little touch in that edition. :)

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

The first of four installments of the full-text serialization of my next novel, Wake, is in the November 2008 issue of Analog, released electronically today (weeks after it came out in hardcopy!). You can get it at Fictionwise here.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

So, today, I was at a writers’ festival, and, when it was time to do my autographing, I was sitting next to a very nice female writer. She had a copy of her book, and I asked if I could see it. I turned to the back and read the “About the Author,” which said she “is an alumnus of …”

No, I pointed out to her, she’s not. She’s an alumna of said program (or, if one prefers gender-neutral language, she’s a graduate of or an alum of said program).

And, just yesterday, a female friend sent me a note on FaceBook saying, “My fiancée just surprised me with November’s Analog – good story!”

To which I replied, “Thanks! But unless it’s a gay wedding, he’s your fiancé (but you are his fiancée).”

(A gender-neutral phrasing would be, “My bethrothed …” or “My intended …”)

(I knew it wasn’t a gay wedding because the lucky man’s picture was on her FaceBook page.)

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Just finished watching (recorded earlier) the 2008 HBO film Recount, about the process of determining the winner in the US presidential election in Florida in 2000. The film stars Kevin Spacey. I thought it was terrifically well done; check it out if you have a chance.

The Wikipedia entry on it is here.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

So, this evening, after a wonderful dinner out with my family, Carolyn and I went on to pick up a friend. Said friend lives in an apartment building with very nice grounds, but as we opened the door of our car to let him in, I remarked that “it smells like a cloud of pesticide got blown in.”

Um, nope. Turned out it was said friend’s cologne!

Eeep!

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

… you’ll love this!

(Direct YouTube Link)

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

As those who follow my travel schedule know, I fly a lot (next month, I have eight flights booked).

I rely on SeatGuru for information about which are the good seats and which are the bad ones on planes. When you’re flying across country, as, for instance, I am on the trip I just booked via WestJet, having extra legroom can make all the difference between a relaxing, productive (with my laptop) trip, and five hours of pure hell, with some clown leaning his chair all the way back into my face.

SeatGuru — which is free to use — shows you every seat on every plane used by every major airline, and tells you about legroom, whether the seat tends to get cold, how well you can see the in-flight movie screens, etc. I love it.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

For those reading my new novel Wake, now being serialized in Analog: please let me know if you spot any typos or errors. I still have time to correct them in the Ace hardcover, which comes out in April 2009.

Many thanks!

Rob

I mentioned back in June 2008 that Srinivas Krishna, the director who has my Nebula Award-winning novel The Terminal Experiment under option, has renewed his option for a third year.

And I note now that his large-scale public art installation When the Gods Came Down to Earth is on display outside the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival, September 4-13, 2008. Check it out!

More info is here.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Jeffrey A. Carver is a good friend of mine, and also one heck of a good hard SF writer. To set the stage for Tor’s forthcoming release of his next novel, Sunborn, Jeff is giving away ebook versions of his older titles. Highly recommended.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

I had cause today to gather some links to podcasts of me talking about science-fiction writing and the history of the genre, and I thought I’d share them here:

• Audio lecture from Odyssey Workshop with Robert J. Sawyer on point-of-view
• Audio lecture from Odyssey Workshop with Robert J. Sawyer on “Is your science-fiction element extraneous?”
• Audio interview with Robert J. Sawyer conducted by Tee Morris about book marketing
• Audio lecture by Robert J. Sawyer: “Science Fiction as a Mirror for Reality”
• YouTube version of above lecture, with graphics

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Cribbed from Torontoist:

The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival—the Toronto literary community’s annual out-of-town oasis—is celebrating its twentieth birthday this summer. This year’s festival, a mere forty-five minutes west of Toronto, starts this Friday [September 5, 2008] and includes workshops, seminars, and the popular “festival day” on Sunday [September 7, 2008].

Some of the big appearances this year include David McGimpsey, Shari Lapeña, Michael Ondaatje, Alistair MacLeod, Robert J. Sawyer, and Jane Urquhart. Book lovers can get a break from the city and spend their Sunday in the village, enjoying readings, music, food, and of course, books to buy.

Website: edenmillswritersfestival.ca

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Pure Speculation Festival (October 18-19, 2008) Hazeldean Community Hall, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Two days of literary science-fiction and fantasy panels, including Con Spec (hosted by On Spec Magazine) and Comic Talks (hosted by Happy Harbor Comics); plus games, the Geeks for Geeks Charity Auction (in support of the Edmonton Small Press Association), the Speculation Bake-off, and the Costume Shindig.

Guests of Honour: author Robert J. Sawyer, author/game designer Monte Cook and artist Herman Lau. Adult Weekend Pass: $25 until 10/12/08; $30 at the door. Children 12 and under are free. Website: www.purespec.org.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

The 2008 Mississauga Write-Off, which began Thursday evening, August 29, and finished this afternoon, Monday, September 1, was a great success. The weather was gorgeous throughout, and our balcony was put to good use:

Elizabeth Westbrook-Trenholm

Hayden Trenholm

Herb Kauderer

I did some work on the balcony, but also worked with my lovely dual-monitor setup in my office:

Robert J. Sawyer

Meanwhile, David Livingstone Clink worked at my alternative dual-monitor workstation in the living room.

Paddy Forde preferred the sun room; note the cover for the British edition of The Terminal Experiment on the wall

Carolyn worked in her office, but also kept an eye on things; here she wears a souvenir shirt from the last writing retreat she and I did — in Dawson City, Yukon!

Al Katerinsky usually worked on the kitchen table, but here is taking a break on the living-room couch.

All in all, a wonderful four days!

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

She leaves you breathless!

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

They’re drifting away: Liz and Hayden left before lunch. Herb, Al, Paddy, Dave, Carolyn, and I went to Swiss Chalet for lunch once more. After, I showed people the “Crazy Ray” episode of Pam Anderson’s sitcom Stacked, one of the best treatments of writerly jealousy I’ve ever seen — and very, very funny.

Herb and Al are heading out the door now …

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

We ordered in pizza (which we ate out on my balcony), then we all did brief readings of the new work we’d written over the weekend. And then, to round out the evening, we watched part one of “In a Mirror, Darkly,” from Star Trek: Enterprise, because Paddy Forde, Herb Kauderer, Al Katerinsky, and Hayden Trenholm had never seen it. Hayden crawled off to bed after watching the opening, but the rest of us stayed up to 1:00 a.m., rapt, watching it; we’ll watch part two tomorrow.

All in all, the Second Mississauga Write-Off has been a great success!

Below: Hayden after a few beers.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

We had a long lunch at The Mad Hatter, a pub near Carolyn and my home; it was a wonderful walk to the pub and, once again, the Toronto weather is perfect. David Clink is rejoining us this evening after his day of golf.

Paddy Forde is in the sun room; Carolyn and Liz Trenholm are in Carolyn’s office; Hayden Trenholm and Al Katerinsky are writing at the kitchen table; Herb Kauderer is on the balcony; and I’m in my office.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Ben Wall, a fan of my stories, just sent me the above photo from BrickFest in Washington D.C., a convention for adult fans of Lego. The placard says:

Brickfest 2008
Starships Merelcas and Starplex
by Phillip Thorne, 33

Exploratory starships from the Robert J. Sawyer novels “Calculating God” (2001) and “Starplex” (1996)

How cool is that! :) :) :)

More of Phillip’s amazing work is online — including a Lego model of Hollus having dinner at the Jericho househould from Calculating God. Check it out here.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Pat Forde got us all to watch this online video, entitled “Where the Hell is Matt?”

Next time we send something like the Voyager record out into space, we should include this. It’s us — the joy of being human.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Carolyn just drove her brother, the poet David Livingstone Clink, home; he’s off to play golf tomorrow. But he was a great writing-retreat participant, and we were glad to have him.

Still going strong: Robert J. Sawyer, Carolyn Clink, Hayden and Liz Trenholm, Al Katerinsky, Herb Kauderer, and Pat Forde. Tomorrow’s our final day.

A line I wrote today:

He’d know what to do with her junk; she should know what to do with his … shouldn’t she?

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

1) Don’t eat so much for lunch.

2) There is no number two.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site