20 Facts About Neil Gaiman

I stole this from Book Spot Central (which apparently stole it from Jim Hines). It was too good to pass up. (My favorites are 5 and 11.)

1. Neil Gaiman once wrote a Nebula-winning story using only the middle row of his keyboard.
2. Harper Collins has taken out a 2.5 million dollar insurance policy on Neil Gaiman’s accent.
3. If you write 1000 words and Neil Gaiman writes 1000 words, Neil Gaiman has written more than you.
4. Neil Gaiman does not use Microsoft’s grammar-check. Microsoft uses a Gaiman-check.
5. Neil Gaiman once did the New York Times crossword puzzle in pen. In fifteen minutes. He won two Hugo awards for it.
6. Neil Gaiman is who the Ghostbusters call.
7. Most agents charge a 15% commission. Neil Gaiman’s agent pays him an extra 15% for the privilege of saying “I’m Neil Gaiman’s agent.”
8. William Shakespeare once came back from the dead to ask for Neil Gaiman’s autograph.
9. Neil Gaiman is the reason nobody teaches “I before E except after C” anymore.
10. Some writers take inspiration from the muse. The muse takes inspiration from Neil Gaiman.
11. Neil Gaiman once groped Harlan Ellison.
12. The pen is mightier than the sword; Neil Gaiman has mastered fourteen different styles of penmanship.
13. Rumor has it that a NY editor rejected Neil Gaiman’s first book. This can not be confirmed, as the editor in question was never heard from again.
14. Neil Gaiman can tweet 175 characters.
15. Neil Gaiman’s personal library includes an autographed copy of the Necronomicon.
16. Hitler actually won World War II. Then Neil Gaiman wrote an alternate-history story in which the allies won, and reality was too intimidated to argue the point.
17. Some authors write in omniscient point of view. Neil Gaiman lives it.
18. Neil Gaiman’s next novel is expected to win the Nebula, the Hugo, and the Heisman Trophy.
19. In any given week, 7 of the top 10 books on the NYT Bestseller List are by pseudonyms of Neil Gaiman.
20. Neil Gaiman has never written a deus ex machina ending. However, God once wrote a Gaiman ex machina ending.

Wired's 5 Worst Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books

This link amused me. I agree with it with the most part (though I haven't read the Heinlein and I won't read the Meyer, so...)

5 Science Fiction/Fantasy Books We Wish Had Never Been Written

WorldCon

WorldCon.
Montreal.
Canada. (Where it's not 102 degrees outside.)
Peadar O'Guilin.
Neil Gaiman.
Catherynne M. Valente.
Hugo Awards.
Panels on EVERYTHING.

Guess where I wasn't this weekend?

Then Again...

The last post may have been about restoring my faith in humanity just a bit...but this one isn't.

U.S. Troops Accused of Damaging the Hanging Gardens of Babylon While Converting Them into a Base

It's things like this that make me ashamed of living in this country.

Best Twilight Review Ever

From respected fantasy writer Elizabeth Hand, published in the Washington Post. (And thanks to Hal Duncan for posting a link on his blog, where I found it.)

National Spelling Bee 2009

So, even though I (somehow) manage to watch the National Spelling Bee almost every year, it never ceases to amaze me how incredibly freaking good these kids are. I'm jealous, really. Even when they don't actually know how to spell a particular word, they know enough about the rules of forming words that they can piece together an almost always accurate spelling. Personally, I'm proud of myself for getting the word origin right on most of the spelling words (I swear they were all French- even the ones that weren't), though that really had no effect on my ability to actually spell them.

This year, the winning word was "laodicean", which is a Greek to Latin word with an English combining form meaning "lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics". My favorite word, however, was "bouguiniste", a word that went from Dutch to French and which means "a dealer in second-hand books". Guess what I'm going to tell people I am from now on?

I can't help but wonder if there'll be another volume of stories like Logorrhea: Good Words Make Good Stories. It's a great concept for an anthology, and every one of the writers involved is a powerhouse in his of her own right, so unless they get an equal collection of stories for a sequel volume it may not be a good idea...but if they do, it is.

50 Hottest SF Women

I don't really agree with the order of this list, but I'm sharing it anyway.

http://www.ugo.com/movies/top-50-hottest-sci-fi-girls/?cur=mikaela-barnes&cmpid=ppc_ggl_ugo_hsg_081508&gclid=CODy2t_D1poCFQghnAodUmL72w

New (Online) Toy!

I recently joined LibraryThing.com, which allows users to keep an online record of their books (and allows for book voyeurs such as myself to peek at the shelves of other collectors without getting the cops called on us). Sadly enough, it's very entertaining, and you can check out the libraries of your friends and your favorite authors. I think there are even forums and such...though I've been so busy scoping out who has my favorite books that I haven't really paid much attention to those features. Neeways, my profile page is located at http://www.librarything.com/profile/bookjockey18 and I'd love to have company. Plus, I'm a book whore and I love to look at other people's shelves, and the more the merrier, right? Right.

Oh, and that shadow that's been hovering near your bookshelf... You know, the one behind you? It isn't what you think! I was just... Please don't call the cops...

Good News on the Marriage Front!

For once, something positive to report! (And I promise, this is as political as I think I'll get on this blog)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_re_us/iowa_gay_marriage

Now if California will just get the message...