The old blog, active from 2006 through 2012.
Dave’s Grand Ideas: Amazon for Voters
What’s the biggest problem with our system of democracy? John McCain and Russell Feingold seem to think that it’s lax campaign finance rules that allow moneyed interests to funnel cash into campaigns. Others think it’s media bias or homogeneity of opinion between the two parties. I happen to think the main problem is too much information. The general public is often only aware of the hottest of hot-button issues — gay marriage, flag burning, the... Continue reading→
Readercon Report
Readercon 17 was indeed a fabulous time. Infoquake CDs, flyers, and business cards were distributed; hands were shaken; and I discovered the pleasures of Smithwick's beer (pronounced "Smitticks"). For those who were not present, here's a quick rundown of the highlights from my perspective. Continue reading→
My Schedule at ReaderCon, July 7-9
As previously mentioned, I will be at ReaderCon 17 this weekend, from Friday, July 7 through Sunday, July 9. Here are the events I’m scheduled for: Libraries in Imaginative Literature (Panel) — Friday, 5:00 pm Borges’ Library of Babel is perhaps the best known, but the repository of knowledge (especially the repository of all knowledge) is a common element in stories of the fantastic. They’re obviously useful as plot devices, but they are attractive to... Continue reading→
Interview on Meme Therapy
Last week saw an interview with me by Hugo and John W. Campbell Award-nominated author John Scalzi. This week, there’s a short interview with me up on the Meme Therapy blog. My favorite quote: But there’s something about [Natch, the protagonist of Infoquake]’s drive and his selfishness that you simply can’t ignore. It’s just part of the human condition. The same daring, unconventional mindset that gives us people like Einstein and Gandhi and Joan of... Continue reading→
Superman Returns, For the First Time
My wife and I went to see Superman Returns last night. No, I don’t intend to write a full-blown review here. Suffice it to say that while the plot inconsistencies do seem to surface quicker than Lex Luthor’s proto-crystalline continent, Bryan Singer does an admirable job in resurrecting the Big Blue Guy. Quibble all you want about the details, but Brandon Routh was Superman, and that’s just about all that matters. But here’s what I really want to discuss. About... Continue reading→
“Titus Groan” by Mervyn Peake
Mervyn Peake's "Titus Groan" is nothing less than the extension of Franz Kafka's vision to its chilling nadir. It's Franz Kafka narrated by a stuffy British professor in tweed who's long ago retreated into the bitter chambers of his imagination and shut the doors, tight. Continue reading→
“Infoquake” Now Shipping
I’ve gotten word from friends and family that Amazon is already shipping their copies of Infoquake, even though the publication date is not until July 11. Some people have already received their copies. I’m going to write a longer “introduction” to the book over the next week. But in the meantime, check out the Infoquake website (which contains, among other things, the first five chapters of the book, several audio podcasts, all of the book’s... Continue reading→
Stay Out of Our Public Figures’ Personal Lives
Rush Limbaugh was detained at an airport for carrying a bottle of Viagra with a falsified prescription on it, and the blogosphere is going berserk. I’m irritated as hell that anybody gives a flying fuck. Not because I have a special love or reverence for Rush Limbaugh, but because… Well, here’s what I posted on Teresa and Patrick Nielsen Hayden’s Making Light blog about the whole thing, and I think it’s worth repeating and reiterating:... Continue reading→
Stupid Writer Tricks: Cast Your Characters
Here’s a writing trick that’s so simple and so effective that I’m surprised I haven’t read it elsewhere. (And if it has been discussed elsewhere, someone post the link so I can give proper credit. I’m too lazy to Google for it.) The trick is: cast all of the characters in your story with recognizable Hollywood actors as you write. Why? The reason is very simple. It’s the easiest way to keep track of the details about your characters from... Continue reading→
The Infoquake Has Arrived
Today is a banner day for the Edelman household. My author copies of Infoquake have arrived. You can see a stack of them below on my dining room table, along with a picture of me holding a copy of the book. (That chair, by the way, is where I do most of my writing and reading.) The book looks fabulous. From the cover (designed by David Stevenson) to the layout to the recurring use of... Continue reading→