Friday, January 16, 2009A jacket for Julian, among other things....

Cover art:  The dust-jacket for Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America has been finalized, and what a gorgeous one it is -- see the image on this page.  (As of this writing, the cover art isn't up on Amazon yet.)  And I've read some rather wonderful advance reviews, not yet published.  Vainglorious to say so, but I'm proud of this book and delighted to see it appropriately packaged. And it has an octopus on it!

More on Wu Bai:  I promised to report back when I had actually listened to Spacebomb, the new CD by Taiwanese megastar Wu Bai and his band China Blue (see previous post).  Wu Bai has said in several interviews that his new songs were "inspired by Robert Charles Wilson's science fiction novel Spin" -- which would be flattering even if the music sucked.  Which I'm pleased to report it does not.  I can't speak to the lyrics, which are in Mandarin, but the songwriting and the musicianship are superb in any language.  Now I have to check out Wu Bai's extensive back catalog. 

Margaret Atwood, Redux:  In another earlier post I took Margaret Atwood to task for her facile remarks about SF in the magazine New Scientist.  Now it looks like some irrationally irate Parental Unit has demanded that her Handmaid's Tale be pulled from the curriculum of a local high school.  This happens periodically, and it inevitably means the school in question (and the local press) has to explain in simple language why good and important books might offend some readers.  Ms. Atwood's responses to these eruptions of misplaced indignation have always been admirably patient and concise.  Disappointing, though, that we have to go through the ritual on such a regular basis.

The student in question has been allowed to read Huxley's Brave New World instead.  Soma, anyone?