The March 2007 Roadhouse Report went out this morning. Go here to read past issues and to subscribe.
The Danamaniacs will be chatting on Tuesday, March 6th in their ICQ chat room. It’s their fifth anniversary, and I will be dropping by to help them celebrate.
I’ll be signing at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego on March 14th, where you’ll also get a chance to talk to Captain Barkley Lloyd, CO of the US Coast Guard cutter WHEC Munro, on which I’ll be shipping out the next day for a three-week patrol. I’ll be blogging to this website, with photos, every day from on board, so stop by to read about Dana’s excellent adventure often!
Here is a photo of the class I taught my sf lit workshop to on Saturday (3/3) in Kenai. Mary Jo, the librarian there (her picture is below) scored a grant from Arisia, a science fiction and fantasy convention who also give grants, and who gave a very generous one to the Kenai Community Library to beef up their science fiction collection, who had a large sf readership and no sf books. Thanks to Arisia, now they do.
It was a great workshop, too, much of it due to the participants. I’ve had a lot of experience with these kinds of events by now, and the very worst that can happen is to have a room full of people sitting and staring at you like a bunch of cows, chewing their cuds and saying nothing. On Saturday in that room hands shot in the air from my second sentence and almost everyone had something to contribute. There were Heinlein fans galore, so I fit right in. I started with the multiple definitions of science fiction down the years and the it feels like hourly increasing subgenres, everyone contributing book titles and synopses and opinions. After lunch I made them watch the Star Trek: TNG episode The Measure of a Man, written by the brilliant Melinda Snodgrass, and then we compared it to H. Beam Piper’s Little Fuzzy, and talked about sentience, the human propensity to enslave what they perceive to be inferior races, and self-reference in science fiction.
Here’s a question for you: In the episode, a Star Fleet JAG lawyer refers to Data as a toaster. In Battlestar Galactica which you should all be watching because it’s the best thing on television right now, the humans call the Cylons toasters. Coincidence, or homage? I’m betting on the latter, and I’m loving it.
Hi Dana,
What happend to your Mystery Scene cover. I thought that was great. I wanted to tell you congratulations on being a Cover Girl or Cover Woman whichever you prefer!
Thanks, Mary-Frances! The cover is on the newsletter, but I’ll put it back on this post, just for you.
Mornin’, Dana. I enjoyed the article and the cover photo. Way to go! I am still looking forward to seeing you in Eureka Springs in May, but I am curious. How did that come about? It seems an awfully long way from Alaska to Arkansas! But I am delighted that you are making the trip. See you soon.
Glad you liked ‘em, Betty, thanks!
As to Arkansas, because they asked me and because they’re not only paying my way, they’re giving me a generous honorarium, too. And because they sound very nice. And because it’s one of the few free weekends I have between now and Bouchercon. And because I have a speech about libraries and librarians in my life that has been known to make grown men cry.
Dana,
You made me laugh. Thanks for putting it back up–I love knowing a Cover Woman!
I’m curious. I’ve been interested in an Aleute craftsperson and jeweler– Denise Wallace — whose grandmother, Exenia Chernoff Barnes of Cordova, Alaska–was a great influence on her and several generations of the family, even though Denise was raised in Seattle. Given the characterization of Exenia in Lois Sherr Dubin’s book on Denise and Samuel Wallace, I was wondering if Exenia Barnes was a model for Kate Shugak’s grandmother.
She was. My mother was married to Exenia Barnes’ son, Denise’s uncle, so I was Exenia’s step-granddaughter and Denise and I are by way of being shirttail relatives, and friends. The scene in A Cold Day for Murder where all the kids show up for cocoa and fry bread is right out of Exenia’s kitchen.
I’m glad Arisia’s grant was put to good use. I only wish we had more to give.
One of the ongoing topics in SFWA is how to attract young readers to sf. If we could get more writers to go into the libraries and maybe the schools to do workshops like this one, we would at least be on the road.
In this case Arisia gave plenty, and when the KCL orders up their books and gets them onto the shelves, it’s a gift that will keep on giving for years to come. Thank you!
Re: “toaster”
Actually, it’s a double homage.
Ron Moore, who created the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, worked on STAR TREK with Melinda Snodgrass, and was uudoubtedly aware of her use of “toaster” for Data in “Measure of a Man.” So that’s clearly a tip of the that.
But Melinda herself borrowed the usage from Walter Jon Williams and the WILD CARDS anthologies, where the mad scientists Maxim Travnicek repeatedly calls his android creation Modular Man a toaster.
So far as I know, Walter was the first to use “toaster” as an insulting epithet for a robot/ android/ sentient machine, etc.
LOL! The Data-BG-Toaster comment is right on the money! I thought I was the only one who caught that!
Your SciFi gift is great…hope you write more. Star fills the only blindspot in Heinlein’s vision. Cheers from outside!
Thanks, George. One of the things we talked about in the sf workshop was homage in sf. I thought I had this episode memorized word for word, but it was only then I made the connection. I’ll have to go look for Williams’ Wild Cards. FYI, I blew through the first four Winterfell books last month at the instigation of Nancy Pearl, and I’m chewing my fingernails waiting for the fifth. Stop posting to my blog and get back to work!
And thank you, too, Kat. If I could get someone to pay me to write sf, I would. Although I think I’m better at reading it.
Goodmorning,
I just briefly went over your blog. This means so much to families back home. My sister, Tracy K. Mellott, is with you on this adventure. It has been close to a year since I have seen her. But prior to that it was seven years. She is very independent but will you please let her know I’m always thinking of her. She is the closest person I have that reminds me of my dad (whom passed away 26 years ago in June). Tracy also has another sister, two nieces and a nephew that love her very much. Thank you again for sending us day to day updates.
Jody
Glad you’re along for my ride, Jody. I’ll find Tracy and say hi.
Thank You Dana!!
Jody
Thank you Dana ! I share your sentiments on George R. R. Martin. His book with Lisa Tuttle way back was a small treasure, and his fantasy series is the most deeply textured writing I can think of. I’m involved almost involentarily in fund raising for two different libraries in southern Oregon. It seems a shame that They need to turn to non-profits for funding. Hope you are spending most of your time writing also.
There isn’t enough money in the world to throw at libraries, but then I would say that. Thanks, Ed.
Haven’t been able to find the Mystery Scene magazine around here, but congratulations on the cover.
Also, happy birthday to us…my 55 years haven’t been near as exciting as yours, but they’ve been interesting! Have a great day…oh, and as for Eureka Springs…it’s one of my favorite places here in AR, you’ll enjoy it, I think…
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