I have to admit–I’m not real fond of creators pimping themselves on Facebook beyond sharing links and stuff. I don’t know that the format lends itself to aggressive self-promotion. Most of the stuff I get in my Facebook inbox I just delete. But Danny Fontaine recently sent me the following missive about the Horns of Fury through Facebook, and it’s the kind of thing that gets around your defenses. Thought I’d share it here–especially since I like this band a lot. (Danny Fontaine [info at dannyfontaine.co.uk]; images theirs.)

Jeff

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This ain’t spam yo, it’s your humble narrator, Daniel P Fontaine, on behalf of ‘imself and ‘is loyal Horns Of Fury.

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If you missed last night’s Daily Show, you owe it to yourself to check out this instant classic online. Rick Santelli, a CNBC analyst who’d gone off on a rant against homeowners, was supposed to be the guest. Then he backed out. So instead Jon Stewart devoted the whole show to a take-down of CNBC. It’s brutal, vicious, deserved, and an example of the only TV-based investigative journalism worth watching besides Frontline. I’m sure Santelli wishes he’d gone on the show instead. (Starts after 30 seconds of commercials and one minute of schtick.)

Stewart: “Hmmm. If only I’d listened to CNBC, I would have a million dollars now…if I’d started out with a hundred million dollars.”

An Amazon post on recent awards and on Farmer’s passing.

Farmer was also responsible for the pseudonymous Kilgore Trout novel Venus on the Half-Shell. This was one of my dad’s favorite books back in the day (although I think he thought it was by Kurt Vonnegut), and one of my first encounters with science fiction as a result. The confusion surrounding who it was by led me to first Vonnegut and then Farmer.

Note: John Coulthart had a great post on Farmer’s more trangressive works back in 2007.

(By Myrt, from the exhibit.)

We own a couple of paintings by Myrtle von Damitz III (she did the limited edition Night Shade Veniss Underground cover), so I was thrilled to see more from her in this extraordinary exhibit highlighted on Dark Roasted Blend. Go check it out–this stuff is amazing.

As promised, the winner and honorable mentions in the Wombat Thoughts contest. Native species, as is appropriate since it’s her photo, judged the contest. Corey–email me and let me know where you want the City of Saints and Veniss sent and how you want them personalized. Thanks to everyone for their entries.

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(Meg Gardiner with a friend, trekkin’ it up; posted with permission.)

This photograph, which Meg sent me today, gives me great and lasting joy–along with the accompanying email, which included this bit: “Title it Star Trek: The Awful Truth. It was taken at the Star Trek exhibition in Hyde Park, London, in 2003. My friend wishes to remain anonymous. I have no idea why, but shall honor her request.”

Many of you may remember that when Meg guest-blogged over the summer, she mentioned wearing a Star Trek costume. But without photographic evidence how were we to believe her? Now I believe.

Ann’s now reading Meg’s novels and really enjoying them. I’ve fallen a little behind, but will catch up soon.

(Nicked from here.)

I’ve had many totem animals. Started off with frogs, moved to meerkats, then squid, then penguins, and currently bears (see: Mord, Third Bear, Seether, upcoming “Borne”). But I think wombats are next on my list.

This one seems to me to be in an odd state of dual concentration and relaxation. Like it’s totally relaxed so it can contain the entire multiverse in its brain and, while comatose, travel anywhere it wants to travel. Kind of like a transdimensional manifestation of the Buddha.

What do you think the wombat’s thinking about? One idea per person. Deadline Thursday night. Winner gets a copy of the Bantam Veniss and City of Saints, shipped to the person of their choice as a gift. (Just got in some great pristine copies of the 1st edition of the Bantam City…)

(A rare photo of native species Tessa, a fierce creature that, despite being photogenic, generally resists any soul-captures.)

On the back-end of Clarion, I had two days in Brisbane to bum around (well, more like one and a quarter, given the hang-over following the Clarion South wrap party). Our friend Native Species came up to visit just in time for me to have recovered, and has already documented the experience here in a highly entertaining account. (It was awfully nice of NS to visit, since otherwise I would’ve been like a ghost wandering the streets of Brisbane, given that Ann hadn’t been able to come with me on the trip, alas.)

I only have a few things to add…

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I made a meerkat! I made a meerkat! …and then…then I compared it!

(I can’t take credit for finding this–Richard Morgan sent it to me, thinking of Veniss Underground. LOL.)

Now if only there was a petting zoo for squid…

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…a book I’ve been looking forward to for awhile now. It’s beautifully designed.

When you factor in some other releases this year, it’s got to be considered an intriguing year for cross-genre noir/detective fiction. These books are all different, and yet all have some aspect of noir with urban settings.

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