Author Archive

On the Death of Geek Culture

I read Patton Oswalt’s dissection of geek culture the other day, and I’ve had some mixed feelings about it. He’s going to catch a lot of hell of it, that I can tell, but really, I think he’s not wrong. He’s mostly right, in fact. I just think that he doesn’t assess the real danger of geek culture, nor does he prescribe an appropriate response.

Personally, I’ve always had a touch-and-go relationship with geek culture, if you can believe it. In my family, I’m definitely the geekiest, I’d say. I’m the guy who’s On The Internet All The Time, dredging up obscure memes and silly trends and finding the most bizarre articles to send to people during slow work hours. I’m also the guy who is sometimes unapologetically geeky in my tastes. Yes, I had Hellboy comics on my Christmas list. I also had Avatar: the Last Airbender DVDs, and I asked for Windows 7 so that maybe I can fix my laptop up to play Portal 2. (A pipe dream if ever there was one.)

These tastes are geeky. But if you asked me if I was a geek, I’m not sure I’d say I am.

Part of it is that I’m a coward.
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2010, Over and Out!

Power down the reactor-core,  that’s all from us until the New Year.

Congratulations to our epic loot winners: Abdel M, Katie B, Leeann P, Jennifer K, Storm H, Rachel K, Neal S, and David M!

And if you find yourself here over the next week — and you still need holiday cheer — be sure to check out ‘Twas the Night Before the Uprising,  our Holiday Study of the Genus Elvum, and Robert Jackson Bennett on The Truth About Santa Claus.

See you in 2011!

The Truth About Santa Claus

Well, it’s that time of year again: the shadows lengthen, the temperatures dip even further, and the night sky seems blacker than ever. As always, this is the time for rituals. Soon we’ll engage in bonfires, feasts, and all manner of merriment against the creeping dark.

The man himself

But there is one champion of this merriment who’s been slighted by modernity. Just as we determinedly pull all the teeth from fairy tales, removing any trace of murder, sacrifice, and sex, this same enthusiastic censorship has made a victim of Santa Claus. Or, depending on where you are, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Papa Noel, or any number of other seasonal titles.

We all have a general concept of Santa Claus. He is a fat, jolly old man who travels the world on Christmas Eve delivering presents to all the good boys and girls of the world. But this is far from the real Santa, who is forgotten, but not gone. The real Santa – or, perhaps better, the figure who inspired him – is not the commercialized, jovial octogenarian we now see on every can of Coke at the store. Rather, he is a Yule-being of considerable power, and he has his own history that is surprisingly more fantastic and primitive than most would expect. Let’s contrast our current beliefs about Santa with the original. (more…)

Epic Loot #7: An Orbit Festive Stocking!

Update – This giveaway is now closed!

It’s that time of the year — good cheer, decorations, warm fires, and of course: Loot! We’ve traveled deep into the Orbit HQ dungeon and returned with a chest of magnificent offerings that we’re giving away for the holidays. So check back here (or follow us on twitter or facebook) for updates, and chances to win.

We’ve got a stocking full of goodies from the London office. Enter after the jump for a chance to win it. We’ll select one winner on Thursday, December 23rd!

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We like charts! Yes we do!

Google did a cool thing with their massive archive of data. I don’t really understand what exactly it is they did and I rest easy in the knowledge that many people, much smarter than me are hard at work figuring it out. You can read more about cool things those smart people are doing here and here. But, me and the rest of the Orbit team, had a different thought. That thought mostly being “ooh shiny!” and we hopped on the totally awesome public tool and started plugging things in like the children in a candy store we were.

Seriously, give a science fiction editor something that mashes up math and words and then we get happy.

Elves! Way more popular than Orcs or Dwarves. And still rising.

A few more fun ones after the jump… (more…)

Orbit on 2010’s Best-Of Lists

We are pleased to announce that Orbit titles are once again plentifully represented in this year’s Best Of lists, including those at Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Financial Times, the Times of London, NPR and more.

Congratulations to all of our recognized authors as we look forward to having Orbit books appear on even more lists in 2011! This year’s full rundown appears after the jump.
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Why do YOU love Jim Butcher?

If you’re a Jim Butcher fan, have we got some exciting news … Check out this page and you can win his ENTIRE Dresden Files series so far, including new books when they’re out next Spring, by telling us exactly why you think the Dresden Files series is so great. So, whether you’re a Butcher newbie or a seasoned pro fan, this is a great opportunity to win the whole series re-clothed in their fabulous new-look covers.

This competition is only for UK readers for shipping-related reasons, but there will be three lucky winners and the prize will also include books by authors Trent Jamieson and Kate Griffin as we think you’ll love them too. And if you just feel like telling us why the Dresden Files are greater than awesome, even if you aren’t eligible to win, we’d still love to hear from you!

Epic Loot 3: The Castings Trilogy

It’s that time of the year — good cheer, decorations, warm fires, and of course: Loot! We’ve traveled deep into the Orbit HQ dungeon and returned with a chest of magnificent offerings that we’ll be giving away  over the next few weeks.  So check back here (or follow us on twitter or facebook) for updates, and chances to win. Check out today’s loot after the jump!
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Triple Honors for HULL ZERO THREE

Greg Bear’s HULL ZERO THREE is the talk of the web this morning.

First off, Paul DiFilippo at The Speculator at the Barnes & Noble Review, discussing the types of science fiction represented in 2010, selects HULL as exemplary of Hardcore SF, noting that “Greg Bear is one contemporary master of the old ways, and in Hull Zero Three he gives the generation starship theme—crystallized beautifully by Robert Heinlein in 1941’s ‘Universe’—a vigorous makeover.”

At NPR.org, Glen Weldon picks HULL as one of 2010’s Most Transporting Books, noting that “Bear is a pro who knows his way around a starship’s bulkhead and keeps the narrative taut and suspenseful. Importantly, he leavens his hero’s grim steel-and-space ordeal with flashes of lyrical language and imagery.”

And last but far from least, iTunes/iBooks has chosen HULL as one of its Best Science Fiction & Fantasy titles of the year.

Congratulations Greg! And if you haven’t yet read HULL ZERO THREE (or given it as a Holiday gift), well…