Stephen King once wrote that "a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger" -- that is, sudden, pleasant, mysterious, dangerous and exiting, and the collected short fiction of Jo Walton, contained between covers in the newly published Starlings, is exemplary of the principle. Walton, after all, is one of science fiction's major talents, and despite her protests that she "doesn't really know how to write stories," all the evidence is to the contrary.

If you have feelings about HitchBOT too, this appropriately-threadbare, bite-sized (13kb) executable "poem about robots" from nickk might be a good way to process and share them.

Inspired by some of the more pathological behaviors on display in the comment section of John Scalzi's blog Whatever, author Steven Brust has created a doggerel epic entitled "John Scalzi’s Blog." Here's a sample:

I’ve done my work for the day, I’ve twittered random shit. I’ve whined about immigration; And I’m sure I displayed my wit. I’ve drunk my supper, watched some porn, And even fed the dog. Now it’s time to be an idiot on John Scalzi’s blog.

He’s the president of SFWA His comment strings are long. Lots of people pay attention, SO I HAVE TO PROVE HIM WRONG! He wouldn’t dare delete my words, Or the comment chain I’ll clog. So I’m free to be an idiot on John Scalzi’s blog.

John Scalzi’s Blog Read the rest