.

Once again, one of my e-books will briefly be on sale! Vacuum Flowers will be available in the US for only $1.99. Here's the news from Open Road Media:

Hello,

We are pleased to let you know that the following ebook(s) will be featured in price promotions soon.

Open Road will promote the feature via social media. We hope you can share the deal with your network as well. You can subscribe to the newsletters at the links below so that you will get the direct link to the deal on the day that it appears.

Please let us know if you have any questions. We are thrilled to be part of this promotion; hope you are too!

Best,
The Open Road Editorial Team

And because you've probably wondered . . .

I've been asked this many times, but the answer is no: I don't have a nude drawing of Gardner Dozois hanging in my living room. It's in the upstairs hallway. Anyway, he's wearing a sheet, so much of him is covered.

Robert Walters posed Gardner as the evil genius Jonaman for one of the illos (back when SF magazines had illustrations) that went with the serialization of Vacuum Flowers in Asimov's, way back when.

It's not the sightliest picture. But it is treasured.

*

 .

So Tim Sullivan and I are, back in the early eighties, intensely browsing the science fiction paperback section of a bookstore when the young woman running the place comes up and brightly asks, "Are you interested in science fiction?"

Tim kind of shuffles his feet and, looking down at them, says, "Not really."

"Don't let him kid you!" I say. "This is Tim Sullivan, the famous science fiction writer. You may or may not have his books in stock, but you've definitely sold a lot of them."

"Really!" the clerk says, and addressing him directly, "How did you decide to become a science fiction writer?"

"Well," Tim replies, "I suck at art or music, and I'm not any good with my hands, so..."

And now you know why you probably have never heard of this good man.

The last time I saw Timothy R. Sullivan was at Gardner Dozois's funeral. He had lost a little weight and shaved off his unfortunate mustache and, to everyone's surprise, it turned out that he was handsome. Not that that mattered to anyone when he and Gregory Frost shared rooms on Brown Street. They two and Gardner Dozois and I were the beating heart of science fiction in Philly back then. We were, in the parlance of Saturday Night Live, "wild and crazy guys."

So the news that Tim died recently, of congestive heart failure, leaves me mourning not only him but a time in my life when we were all undiscovered geniuses only a matter of months away from the astonished recognition and accolades of a grateful world.

Old people like to say that youth is wasted on the young.  They're full of it. We all had great fun, great plans, and a heartfelt appreciation of how lucky we were to have such friends as each other. Somewhere in there, we managed to write a lot of worthwhile fiction.

Tim was a solid writer. He was a finalist for the Nebula Award. And he and I collaborated on a story, "Fantasies," which, it must be admitted, was not much of a much. He had a good start on a writing career when he veered into movies, acting in Somtow Sucharitkul's The Laughing Dead and co-writing and starring in Twilight of the Dogs, both ultra-low budget endeavors. He moved to California and then to Florida and focused on  scriptwriting and we fell out of touch. I regret that.

Rather than mope about the loss of someone who was a very good friend (we had lunch together when our friendship was new and when Tim objected to me picking up the check, I said, "Be honest. You're a writer, a creator. Don't you honestly feel that the world owes you a living?" Tim thought about it and replied, "Yes." I got out my wallet and said, "I've been authorized by the world to say: Fuck you. You're lucky to get a sandwich"), I would like to celebrate those days when we all knew we were the best thing about to happen to literature ever.

And you know what? I am authorized by the world to say we were.

Rest in peace, Tim. You never got your just deserts. But maybe nobody ever does.

Above, l-r: Gregory Frost, Gardner Dozois, Tim Sullivan, John Kessel (not a Philadelphian, but visiting), and me. Those were the days.

*

*I

1. Why Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah were missing from Perth nets; India ramp up privacy amid Manchester United-like security  Hindustan Times
2. Virat Kohli in focus: Intense net session begins for upcoming Test series against Australia  The Times of India
3. Virat Kohli in Australia for BGT: A timeline  India Today
4. Black veil of secrecy: India begin training in privacy in Perth  ESPNcricinfo
5. India to play intra-squad warm-up match at WACA on Friday ahead of Australia Tests but BCCI denies public viewing  Hindustan Times

1. Kanguva Box Office Day 1 Advance Sales: 568% Higher Than Suriya’s Last Release ET In USA, Selling 5,460 Tix/Hr In India!  Koimoi
2. Kanguva morning show: Tamilians miffed as other states get earlier shows for Suriya, Bobby Deol's film  Hindustan Times
3. 5 Reasons To Watch Suriya and Bobby Deol Starrer 'Kanguva' In Theatres  Zee News
4. Kanguva’s second half to be very crisp  123telugu
5. Kanguva advance booking: Suriya's film earns over Rs 4 crore ahead of release  India Today

Webinar: nieuw HPV-screeningsbeleid en -vaccinatie - 19 november 2024  Medi-Sfeer

1. Hallo kroket! Mike De Decker vermorzelt Michael Smith en treft Luke Littler in Grand Slam of Darts  Gazet van Antwerpen
2. Sterke Van den Bergh en De Decker stoten door in Grand Slam of Darts, onverwachte exit Van Gerwen  sporza.be
3. VIDEO. Hallo kroket! Mike De Decker vermorzelt Michael Smith en treft Luke Littler in 1/8ste finale Grand Slam of Darts  Het Nieuwsblad
4. VIDEO. Dimitri Van den Bergh flitst naar 1/8ste finales Grand Slam of Darts, met dank aan een muntje: “Ik ga iets uit mijn achterzak pakken...”  Gazet van Antwerpen
5. Mike De Decker bij laatste 16 op Grand Slam of Darts  RTV

1. Peter Vandenbempt neemt praktijk op de korrel die steeds meer aan populariteit wint: "Gewoon geel geven, en een paar keer na elkaar"  Voetbalkrant.com
2. "Je lacht gewoon iedereen uit": Peter Vandenbempt hekelt "blessures bij doelmannen" en komt met oplossing  sporza.be
3. Delanghe onder vuur na acteren tegen RSC Anderlecht: “Lacht iedereen uit”  VoetbalPrimeur.be
4. Alle middelen zijn goed: de 'gouden' truc die Cercle Brugge toepaste tegen RSC Anderlecht krijgt (voorlopig) geen staartje  Voetbalkrant.com
5. Loopje met de sportiviteit, Delanghe faket blessure tegen Anderlecht  VoetbalPrimeur.be

1. Heeft nieuwe eigenaar van SK Deinze centen? Spelers zijn ongerust en verschenen niet op het oefenveld  Het Laatste Nieuws
2. Valse (door)start in Deinze: club krijgt puntenaftrek en ontkent "staking" van de spelers  sporza.be
3. Spelers Deinze staken omdat nieuwe overnemer niet betaalt, puntenaftrek dreigt  Het Laatste Nieuws
4. Even hol als hoopvol: het overnamedossier van Deinze doorgelicht  De Standaard
5. Deinze reageert misnoegd na puntenaftrek en is scherp voor media: “Fake news om de club te destabiliseren”  Het Nieuwsblad

Gladiator 2: De langstverwachte film van het jaar is een mission impossible  VRT.beHele verhaal bekijken via Google Nieuws

1. ‘Sexiest man alive’ is... alweer niet zo sexy: John Krasinski pronkt op cover van ‘People’  Het Laatste Nieuws
2. Acteur John Krasinski is volgens People meest sexy man ter wereld  NU.nl
3. John Krasinski uitgeroepen tot meest sexy man op aarde  Het Nieuwsblad

“‘Dr. Vogel’ was geen dokter”: expert over zin en onzin van homeopathie en kruidengeneeskunde  Het Laatste Nieuws

Belgische architecte: 'We kunnen veel van de Chinezen leren'  De Tijd

“Alan Wake II: The Lake House houdt je op het puntje van je stoel”  Pragalicious

Diepenbeek start onderzoek naar fraude door adjunct-financieel directeur: geld van lokaal bestuur verduisterd  Het Nieuwsblad

1. ▶ President van gastland Azerbeidzjan noemt olie en gas ‘godsgeschenk’ tijdens klimaattop  De Morgen
2. LIVE Klimaatconferentie - Spaanse premier dringt aan op meer klimaatactie om rampen als in Valencia te vermijden  VRT.be
3. "Olie en gas zijn godsgeschenk”: ambities klimaattop krijgen nieuwe klap na uitspraken president van gastland Azerbeidzjan  Het Laatste Nieuws
4. Veel Europese leiders slaan de klimaattop dit jaar over: zijn de hoogdagen van Europa’s groene politiek voorbij?  De Morgen
5. COP29: Wil de spaarder investeren in het klimaatbeleid?  De Standaard

1. Keuze voor hondstrouwe hardliners illustreert welke koers Trump wil varen  De Tijd
2. Trumps buitenlandteam zoekt snelle deal in Oekraïne en wil druk op Iran verhogen  De Standaard
3. Wie zit (voorlopig) op welke stoel in het team van verkozen VS-president Donald Trump?  VRT.be
4. Marco Rubio genoemd als nieuwe minister van Buitenlandse Zaken van de VS  Het Nieuwsblad
5. Elon Musk wordt ‘minister van Overheidsefficiëntie’: Trumps ‘dreamteam’ begint snel vorm te krijgen  AD

Kinderopvang wordt duurder in Bilzen-Hoeselt: “Daarvoor zijn we geen fusie aangegaan”  Het Belang van LimburgHele verhaal bekijken via Google Nieuws

1. Overleden vrouw aangetroffen op oprit van woning in Zwijndrecht, parket opent onderzoek  VRT.be
2. Vrouw vermoord op oprit van woning in Zwijndrecht bij Antwerpen: schedel van slachtoffer werd ingeslagen  Het Laatste Nieuws
3. Vrouw dood aangetroffen op oprit van een woning in Zwijndrecht, parket start onderzoek naar gewelddadig overlijden  Het Nieuwsblad
4. Vermoorde vrouw aangetroffen voor woning in Zwijndrecht: parket start onderzoek  Gazet van Antwerpen
5. Levenloos lichaam van vrouw gevonden op oprit van woning in Zwijndrecht: schedel van slachtoffer werd ingeslagen  Het Laatste Nieuws

1. Nu Bart De Wever (N-VA) aan zet blijft als formateur: krijgt hij in 2 weken rond wat al 5 maanden niet lukt?  VRT.be
2. “De Wever wil Open Vld én Vooruit in federale regering”  Het Laatste Nieuws
3. De Wever wil Arizona nog eens reanimeren met ‘trucje’, maar of Vooruit deze keer hapt?  Het Laatste Nieuws
4. De Wever grijpt naar beproefd recept om Vooruit snel weer aan tafel te krijgen: het ‘saucissoneren’  De Morgen
5. Formatie: ‘Bart De Wever voert een toneeltje op’  Knack.be

Izegem zet verder koers richting coalitie met Vlaams Belang: “We hebben hier een omgekeerd cordon sanitaire”  Gazet van AntwerpenHele verhaal bekijken via Google Nieuws

1. Spanje bereidt zich voor op nieuw noodweer: code rood in Malaga en Tarragona, weerdienst waarschuwt voor ‘extreem gevaar’  De Morgen
2. Spanje zet zich schrap voor nieuwe ‘DANA’: code rood in Malaga en Tarragona, al 3.000 mensen geëvacueerd  Het Laatste Nieuws
3. Opnieuw code rood voor regen in delen van Spanje: “extreem gevaar” in Malaga en Tarragona  Het Nieuwsblad
4. Evacuaties in Valencia door instortingsgevaar 50 appartementen  De Morgen
5. Spaanse weerdienst waarschuwt opnieuw voor noodweer: “Zeer sterke en aanhoudende regen”  De Standaard

1. Anneleen Van Bossuyt: “Een N-VA-kiezer is niet minder Gents dan wie links stemt”  De Standaard
2. Breed glimlachend op de foto, maar schaduw van N-VA hangt over Gents schepencollege: “Er is nog wantrouwen in onze afdeling”  Het Nieuwsblad
3. ‘In Gent moet Filip Watteeuw de kelk tot op de bodem ledigen’  Knack.be
4. ▶ Dit is het verschil tussen het akkoord met N-VA en het akkoord met Groen in Gent  De Morgen
5. Hafsa El-Bazioui (Groen) na tumultueuze weken in Gent: "Ik kan me niet excuseren voor mensen die spontaan op straat komen"  VRT.be

Cavan retain the Ulster Under-21 Football title as they edge out Tyrone 1-10 to 0-10 in Wednesday's final at Brewster Park.

Cavan football manager Val Andrews quits after the county's players made it clear that they wanted him to step down.

Terry Hyland and assistant Anthony Forde take over at Cavan after the resignation of Val Andrews.

Cavan have handed debuts to five players for Sunday's Ulster senior football championship tie against Donegal.

FOX Sports' RJ Young offers up three takeaways from the second set of College Football Playoff rankings, including Colorado's path to the CFP ... and the national title game.

Just when we thought we'd never get anything better than Donald Trump grasping that orb, we get this dark-humored, delightfully awkward pic that just oozes cringe. Naturally, people were ready to flood Twitter with some entertaining captions. 

New York Magazine published an excerpt from Ivana Trump's memoir Raising Trump - and it has since become a wildly entertaining meme. Thhe excerpt is actually a quote from Ivanka, reminiscing about her "punk" days. 

"During my punk phase in the nineties, I was really into Nirvana. My wardrobe consisted of ripped corduroy jeans and flannel shirts. One day after school, I dyed my hair blue. Mom wasn't a fan of this decision. She took one look at me and immediately went out to the nearest drugstore to buy a $10 box of Nice'n Easy. That night, she forced me to dye my hair back to blond. The color she picked out was actually three shades lighter than my natural color… and I have never looked back!"

The quote has left Twitter users in stitches, making Photoshop memes and mocking the wealthy businesswoman's statement. The results have been delightful. 

VW launches $5.8bn tie-up with Tesla rival Rivian Volkswagen Group (VW) and Tesla rival Rivian have launched a joint venture, with the German car giant increasing its investment in the partnership. The two companies say the the deal is now worth $5.8bn (£4.55bn) - up from an initial pledge from VW…

The Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassador of Russia, but also the chargé d'affaires of Georgia, for comments by country's prime minister it said called into question the integrity of Moldova's polls.

The Spanish government will propose to the European Commission to amend the post-COVID reconstruction plan to redirect unused EU funds to the 'reconstruction and revitalisation' of the areas most affected by the recent torrential rains and floods. ‘We are going to present an addendum to the…

HONG KONG/WASHINGTON -- China has vowed to strengthen security after a hit-and-run attack in the southern city of Zhuhai killed 35 people, shocking the nation and highlighting what some experts see as an alarming pattern. On Tuesday evening, authorities revealed the scope of the devastation left…

Humphreys's product dramatically reduces the price and increases the portability of the life-affirming treatment. Read more: Irish innovator makes history at James Dyson Awards

TOKYO -- Japan's 7-Eleven convenience store chain owner Seven & i Holdings is considering plans to go private by means of a management buyout, Nikkei learned on Wednesday. In a statement responding to the reports, the retail giant has admitted that it has received such an offer from its founding…

Free Sitemap Creation Considering all the available resources for creating sitemaps, this one is the best around as far as I am concerned. I personally have tinkered around with several sitemap programs and multiple sitemap generators online. Some charge for these services but there are plenty of free resources available online. The option is yours. […]

Well by now you probably know about the new Google+ feature available for Google+ users. But if you are not aware of it yet or you are not able to get your custom vanity URL yet, keep this post on hand or return when your profile is approved by Google for the new vanity URL […]

Is this ode to the Dark Lord of the Sith most impressive or does it choke on its own aspirations?

We've bought our first home, and we are so excited to remodel the kitchen! We're keeping our updates simple and on a budget, but the imact will be HUGE!

The post Mini Kitchen Remodel – The “Before” – Virginia Beach, VA appeared first on Joyful Abode.

So this week, we decided to make a pretty Valentine's canvas for their playroom, that can stay up all year. My kids really love looking at art that they've created and declaring, "I'm the artist! I made that!"

The post Valentine Canvas – Easy Art Project for Kids appeared first on Joyful Abode.

How to make folded paper window hearts. This is a step by step tutorial that will have your windows looking full of love in just a few minutes.

The post Paper Window Hearts – DIY Valentine Crafts appeared first on Joyful Abode.

I wrote this in the newsletter about this one… It’s an especially horrible issue, but one I’m intensely proud of. It’s one of those rare books that I think may actually be unique for its genre, and the logical end point of the line of thinking that’s run through all my work in superheroes. Namely, […]

One book out today, being Uber Invasion 3, which is probably the most classically Uber issue I’ve dropped, being primarily focused on a single battle engagement.  Available from your local shop, or Comixology.

Good morning, and Happy Monday! We’ll jump right into the exciting news – the embroidery kits for The Christmas Mitten …