Big Idea & Favorite Bit

I feel bad for combining these two major opportunities, but today is such a huge day that I figure it’s not unreasonable. Don’t want to swamp everyone (and I’m getting on a plane in a couple of hours so at that point all blogging will cease). Here’s a frog chaser for the overwhelmed.

Anyway, first, up, John Scalzi’s Big Idea gave me a chance to to bang on about my favorite SF trope, the matter transmitter:

“Matter transmitters have a longer history than most people realize. They’re also a lot more interesting. Although they seem on the surface to be entirely about conveniently moving people around, except for when they break down, there’s a lot more to them than that.”

Secondly, and no less marvelously, Mary Robinette Kowal kindly allowed me to show off My Favorite Bit of Twinmaker–which, you’ll be amazed, is not d-mat!

“My favourite thing about Twinmaker is buried down deep in the works. I know it’s there, but it’s not something I want readers to be conscious of, except when I do. It’s almost embarrassing to admit to, like an unsavoury habit one should keep entirely private, for everyone’s benefit, not just one’s own. It’s something all too easy to rail against in other writer, if it’s ineptly done, which is one reason to keep quiet about it.”

Click the links to learn more. Huge thanks to John and Mary, and to all you guys for reading.