Recent articles
September 2, 2026
How to Be the Most Annoying Person at Worldcon, 2026 Edition
I posted a thread on Bluesky about an annoying person at Worldcon (originating thread starts here), and I’m posting it here as well for archival purposes. It’s useful information! Pay attention to ...
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September 1, 2026
As Promised, the 2026 Hugo Award Follow-up Post
I’m now back at home after a red-eye, and rather than go to bed in the early afternoon, I’m going to write a post about winning the Hugo Award for Best Series. To help me with this, allow me to hau...
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September 1, 2026
Also Here is My Hugo Acceptance Speech This Year
If for some reason the embed does not take you directly to the announcement of the series finalists, and then me literally dancing up the ramp to the stage to make my comments, my bit starts at 2:4...
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September 1, 2026
Reviews of Monsters of Ohio in Kirkus (Starred!) and Publishers Weekly
The first two trade reviews of Monsters of Ohio are in, from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and I’m happy (and relieved!) to say they are both unreservedly positive, and in the case of Kirkus, also ...
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August 31, 2026
Suddenly: Hugo!
Tonight (well, since I’m posting this after midnight, technically last night) I was given the Hugo Award for Best Series, for “Old Man’s War.” It’s late and I’m simultaneously wired and about to co...
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August 30, 2026
We Bought Art
Krissy and I didn’t attend Worldcon with the intention of purchasing art, but then we went into the art show and saw these bronze pieces from sculptor Vincent Villafranca: And then we thought, “You...
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August 28, 2026
And Now, Last’s Night’s Lunar Eclipse
A bit past totality (well, 96%-ity, since it wasn’t quite a total lunar eclipse). Still an interesting thing to look up and see. Worldcon going well, I’ve had lunch with a Grand Master and am now o...
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August 27, 2026
View From a Hotel Balcony, 8/26/26: Anaheim
It’s the happiest parking lot on Earth! We are here, of course, for LACon V, this year’s Worldcon, where I will doing panels, a reading, a signing, and of course DJing a dance. I may also win a Hug...
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August 25, 2026
Dolly Parton, RIP
It was pretty clear this day was coming — her health had been failing and she had missed several high profile appearances — but this doesn’t make today any easier for literally generations of peopl...
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August 23, 2026
The Pixel 11 Pro: It’s Fine.
One of my splurges is that I buy myself a new phone each year, and for the last several years, the phone I splurge on is the latest iteration of the Pixel phone by Google, usually the “pro” version...
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August 20, 2026
And Now, An EP-Sized Selection of Deep Cuts
Because I feel like moving a bit beyond the hits. Enjoy. — JS
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August 19, 2026
Warning: Smudge is Likely Judging You
You know what you did. You may admit to it in the comments, if you like. — JS
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August 15, 2026
Say Hello to My Warty Friend
This little dude was on the doorstep of my garage around 4am (i.e., when the dog told me she really really had to go pee). That’s not a great place for a smallish amphibian to be, considering there...
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August 11, 2026
The Shattering Peace Now Out in Trade Paperback
That’s it; that’s the post! Well, also that it’s a New York Times best seller and also nominated for the Dragon Award (by itself) and the Hugo Award (as part of the Old Man’s War series), got great...
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August 10, 2026
I Ate a Large Meal of Indian Food and Foolishly Assumed I Would Then Be Able to Function in the Afternoon, So Here is Saja and Charlie to Cover For Me While I Recover
The Indian food was delicious and also literally all my blood went to my stomach, causing my cognitive abilities to throttle to maybe, like, 30%, so, uh, yeah, not a lot of work done after lunch. I...
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August 9, 2026
New Cover: “So Alive”
Yes, I’m slowly working my way through the 80s on KROQ. This one is from Love & Rockets, a spin-off of Bauhaus, but a lot more commercially accessible. This is their biggest hit (it went to #3 ...
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August 6, 2026
Generative “AI”: The Guitar Hero of Creativity
So, you’re a person who has decided to embark on a creative journey of self-expression — to make art, in other words. First off, this is awesome! The universe needs more people making art, whether ...
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August 5, 2026
Saja Wants You To Think About What You Did
Did you think you’d get away with it? Did you think he wouldn’t find out? Saja always finds out. And now you’ll just have to live with him knowing. In other news, we’re coming right up on the one-y...
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August 3, 2026
The Shattering Peace a Dragon Award Finalist + 2026 Hugo Voting Reminder
Here’s some nice news to start the week: The Shattering Peace is a finalist for the Dragon Award this year, in the category of Science Fiction Novel. Also in the category: The Faith of Beasts by Ja...
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August 1, 2026
New Cover Song: “Ode to Somewhere”
This cover song has an interesting story to it, which is that it’s a song from a video game called “Deathloop.” In the video game, the singer is supposed to have been a huge star but has lately gon...
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July 31, 2026
Another Reason Not to Use “AI” For Your Writing
Back in February I did a long post about “AI” and why I wouldn’t use it for my own writing, and one of the reasons I gave was “the fact that ‘AI’-generated text is not copyrightable and I don’t wan...
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July 30, 2026
My 2026 LAcon/Worldcon Schedule
Yeah, they got me doing a lot of things this year, plus I’ll be at the Hugos because, you know, up for Best Series and all (hey, remember to vote for the Hugos, okay? You got about another week to ...
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July 29, 2026
New Front Porch Furniture and a Scalzi Compound Outdoor Area Overview
Hey wanna see our new front porch furniture? As you’ll know, we recently redid a lot of our outdoor environs here at the Scalzi Compound — the front porch because a wind storm knocked out a substan...
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July 25, 2026
I’m Taking the Weekend Off So Please Enjoy This Picture of Saja in the Meantime
And look! He’s a mlem going! Truly, a quality cat photo. Have a great weekend, y’all. See you back here on Monday. — JS
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July 24, 2026
Final Full Day of the John Scalzi Humble Bundle Benefitting World Central Kitchen
The Humble Bundle Deal we have going with 22 of my works has been running for three weeks now, and in that time we have raised almost $35,000 for World Central Kitchen — but all good things must co...
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July 23, 2026
The Astra Award Arrives at the Scalzi Compound
And what a handsome statuette it is, too. For those needing a refresher, the Astra is an award given out by the Hollywood Creative Alliance, which mostly has given out award related to film and tel...
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July 22, 2026
Various & Sundry, 7/22/26
Saja wants to know what’s up! Well, my young cat, let me tell you: OpenAI says its “AI” hacked another “AI” company, apparently just for funsies: No, really, that’s the gist of it. OpenAI put the “...
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July 20, 2026
Back Home, 7/20/26
Left North Carolina early in the morning, made it back home to Ohio a little after 2pm, and along the way drove through just about every summer weather pattern short of an actual hurricane or torna...
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July 19, 2026
Perhaps the Loneliest Volleyball Court in North Carolina
It’s the one at my hotel, and it doesn’t look like it’s been used the entire summer long. Which kinda makes sense, this is an airport hotel, after all, and thus, I expect, not a hotbed of competiti...
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July 16, 2026
View From a Hotel Window, 7/16/26: Greensboro, NC
It’s very warm here today, but at least there is shade. I spent the day traveling here in order to be part of the ConGregate science fiction convention this weekend. I will have panels and do other...
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