Stephenson makes Seattle proud

It's good to have a neighbor like Neal Stephenson. He doesn't live that close to me by Seattle standards...he's on Capitol Hill and I'm in Belltown. Still, it's good to know that a mind like his is a few minutes away by cab.

Stephenson just released his latest opus Anathem. Love the title...one thing about his books that routinely catch my attention.

In the linked Matthew Bey article, the book critique starts with a bothersome point like: Arbre is a transparent metaphor for America's Wal-Mart culture.

Personally, I like the confidence an author like Stephenson has to plainly point out the culture flaws of today. No need to mix it up so much that it's completely up to conjecture. So, to me, this isn't really a critique as much as a characteristic of Stephenson's style.

Bey does go on to praise the book. He reassures us readers that Stephenson has done another good job. So, as a local writer, I'm proud to be part of the Seattle brethren. Another fine job according to Bey...now to get my hands on the book.

Resource for a changing world

This post by Alex Steffen reflects on speculative fiction as means for exploring the implications of present-day changes. Curious by its content, I explored a bit more around the WorldChanging site. It would be a handy reference for speculative fiction writers...or at least food for thought.

Other subjects it explores include:

• home designs
  
• urban living
  
• world politics
  
• the green economy
  
• climate change
  
• biodiversity
  
• and more

There's a products-and-donations aspect sprinkled throughout the site. So, if you get excited about participation, you can become a member of the community.

Since I live in Seattle - the home base of the site - you may wonder if I'm a contributor. Unfortunately, I am not...but I'm thinking very seriously about getting involved. Perhaps I'll have a follow up post on this subject very soon.

A valuable fiction experience in Seattle

I don't typically help push tickets to venues, but... this one's in my home town of Seattle and it's worth mentioning. One of our local attractions has lowered its prices...and I think it's a smart move. The entry fee to the Science Fiction Museum has been reduced.

Most people think ticket prices to tourist attractions seem a bit inflated but we accept it. "Perhaps," we think, "people only visit these attractions seasonally (summer in Seattle) and they need to make up for the rest of the year." It is good to give these venues the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure there are many weeks when employees are virtually asleep wishing visitors would appear.

On this note, an enticing price tag is a good thing. Get more people into the museum and spread the word. Science Fiction and less recognized genres like Speculative Fiction deserve the attention. These books break new ground in imagination and implication. No wonder attendance has been increasing.

In light of this increasing attendance, it's even cooler that they are cutting prices. A solid move. Kudos. To people that aren't residents: come to Seattle if you're considering a vacation (especially if you're coming to the U.S. from abroad). Not only do we spotlight great fiction, we show visitors a great time in this city.