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The Official John Scalzi Social Media FAQ
Apr. 17th, 2025 03:02 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
scalziwhatever_feed
Many moons ago I wrote a primer here for how I used social media, but time has passed and how I use social media has also changed a bit. So I decided it might be useful to have a new and updated Social Media FAQ, detailing who I am, how I use social media, how I manage both my presence in those spaces, and how people get to access me there, or not. This FAQ is meant to be useful but not necessarily exhaustive, and will be updated when necessary or desirable.
Let’s begin!
First, who are you?
I’m John Scalzi. I’m best known for writing science fiction novels, although I do (and have done) other things as well. Here is a brief biography, and here is a bibliography of my work.
Why do your social media bios only read “I enjoy pie”?
I mean, I do enjoy pie.
Yes, but you have other things of interest about you.
Sure, but I’m okay with people deciding they want to follow me on social media for the quality of the material I place in those spaces, and not for other reasons — and it turns out quite a few people follow me on social media without knowing anything else about me. Then they are surprised that I have a life outside what they see there.
You have a lot of followers. How did you manage that?
One or more of the following: I am notable outside of social media, so some people follow me because of that; I’m interesting and amusing on social media, and frequently reposted because of it, so people often find me because of that; in the case of Bluesky, I was an early adopter (I joined when it had only 46k users), so I have some momentum there because of that. I didn’t and don’t go out of my way to get followers on social media; people follow me or don’t.
If I follow you on social media, will you follow me back?
Maybe but you shouldn’t expect me or anyone else to do that out of a sense of quid pro quo. Most of the people I follow on social media are people that either I know from elsewhere, or are people with whom I’ve interacted on social media and found interesting and fun. The best way to get me to follow you on social media is to be a good follow in your own right. If it bothers you that I won’t automatically follow you when you follow me, I’m okay with you not following me.
What do you post on social media?
I post random thoughts, stuff about my professional life, some social/political musings, lots of pictures of my pets, some pictures of my spouse, and now and then musical compositions I’ve created, plus other various stuff. The percentages of what I post vary depending on the site, and some sites I’ll forgo certain types of content entirely (for example, I almost never post political content on Facebook or Instagram). It’s a mix of thoughts and interests and concerns. I do it because it’s fun for me and as an introvert who lives far away from most of the people he knows, it’s a convenient way to get a manageable dose of socializing.
What are your politics?
In this era of political discourse, and in the context of the United States, I am rather to the left and have a strong dislike of the policies and politics of the US right.
I don’t like that!
That’s your prerogative but I’m not obliged to care. If you don’t want to see my political content in your social media, I suggest you only follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram. Otherwise it will show up.
How about I debate you on your politics on social media instead?
Yeah, I don’t do that now. There was a time that was fun for me, but it stopped being fun, both on a personal level and as a matter of general social media discourse, a long time ago. Also, there’s the matter that most of those who actively want to “debate” online are less interested in substantive discussion than they are trying to hijack an audience of followers and then attempt to gish gallop their way through them. So I don’t argue or “debate” on social media anymore, and if someone makes a nuisance of themselves about it in my comments, I’ll hide their comments and/or block them.
But if you don’t debate me, I win!
Okay, you win. Congratulations.
Do you block people often on social media?
These days, more than I used to. Much of social media is populated by trolls, bots and chuds, and they will come into my comments, especially but not exclusively on posts about social or political topics. What they want is attention, and I’m not inclined to give it to them or let them extract attention from others. I now subscribe to the policy of “don’t engage, just block” when these sorts show up – no argument, no snarky comment before punting them, just a quick dump of their ability to comment then or on future posts.
Bots, trolls and chuds are easy to block, but I also block others who in my opinion seem disproportionately out of sorts about something I’ve posted, whose first contact with me is rude, angry or otherwise obnoxious, those who decide that my comment threads are the perfect place for their largely unrelated soapbox or merchandise, or who I otherwise suspect would have a happier social media experience if I wasn’t in it. I block on vibes at this point, basically, and in return I actively encourage people to block me too, if they find me obnoxious or otherwise interminable on social media. I’m not offended! I’m not for everyone!
I don’t want to be blocked by you. How do I avoid that when talking to you on social media?
Mostly, just be nice. Also, remember that “the failure mode of ‘clever’ is ‘asshole,'” which is to say that you should consider whether the bit of snark you’re thinking of offering is going to land like you hope it will, especially if you are interacting with me (or anyone!) for the first time. When I see a comment I think is over the line, I will often try to see whether the person offering it has a history of obnoxiousness in their comments, or if they are just being momentarily clueless, but honestly I don’t always have the time, and sometimes I’m not in the right mood. These days in those cases I will simply err on the side of “block.” Likewise, if your first interaction with me (or anyone else) on social media is to be rude, or to criticize or be the “well, actually” person, you will come across as tiresome and pedantic more often than you might imagine. You need to ask yourself if that is what you really want to accomplish.
In general, remember that while you can comment on anyone’s post, no one is obliged to have the reaction you intended, or to give you the interaction you hoped for. Also remember, bluntly, that most social media services have millions of members, and that you probably won’t be missed if what you say to someone ends up meriting you a block. I personally stop thinking about those I block within seconds of doing so. I never think about them again!
But what if I really disagree with something you said and want to tell you?
Then you have the choice of being angry and/or obnoxious to me about it, and getting to tell me about it in my comments or via tagging exactly once, or being measured about it and possibly being able to talk about it, or other things, further. Your choice! Alternately, disagree with me however you choose to and just don’t be in my comments or tag me about it; these days I don’t generally wade into social media discussions that I haven’t been explicitly invited to.
(Note well that I do occasionally search my name to find professional mentions (reviews, etc) and will sometimes see discussions about me thereby; I’ve made it my policy these days not to engage with them, although if someone in the discussion seems especially annoyed with me I might decide to free them of any chance of seeing me again on that social media service, and block them. Some people are offended by this, but, eh.)
People are (obviously) allowed to disagree with me, or dislike me, or otherwise think negatively about me or my work. Including you! Live your truth! But if you’re going to bring that to my social media door, try not to be awful about it, or that door is going to shut in your face.
What about free speech?
You are free (within the constraints of a social media site’s user agreement and moderation policy) to say whatever you like. Neither I nor anyone else, however, is obliged to listen. People seem to be rather intentionally “confused” about this recently. I am not.
But.. but… echo chambers!
One, “echo chamber” is the card obnoxious people slap down when they want a free pass to irritate other people without consequence, predicated on the false premise that no one actually exists outside that single instance of social media, and two, if I choose to live in an echo chamber on social media, that’s my business, not yours, thanks.
I have an important subject I want to talk about and I’d like you to amplify my post. Will you?
Possibly but unless I know you directly and/or can verify what you’re asking me to amplify is not in fact a scam, probably not. I am selective on what I repost to my followers and I don’t have a lot of time to verify that what I am being asked to promote is real. Mostly these requests are ignored, or if they’re placed in my comment threads, hidden from general view.
This is not to say I don’t repost and amplify posts! But those tend to be ones that I find personally intriguing, and I tend to repost them without solicitation.
I think you should talk about [subject you think is important] on social media and/or I find your silence about [subject you think is important] on your social media telling.
That’s fine but I talk about what I choose, and don’t talk about what I choose as well. If I choose not to talk about something, it might be because I don’t know enough about it, or feel that others are better qualified to discuss it, or have decided that it’s something I prefer to deal with offline rather than online, or believe there is no useful way to talk about it online without ramping up an outrage machine, or it’s something I don’t, in fact, care much about, or any other number of reasons, singly or in combination. You are free to be disappointed! I understand. However, that does not oblige me to comment on it more than I choose to. Alternately, you may wish I would shut up on a certain particular topic. In that case you are free to mute/block/unfollow me.
I want to DM you about something. May I?
I don’t typically let people direct message or otherwise privately message me on social media services, unless we are mutually following each other, and even then it’s not generally my preferred method of communication, especially for business-related discussions. If you need to reach me, use my email.
You seem to have a lot of rules.
Yes, I do! Although they are mostly guidelines. I can’t make you follow them, all I can do is mute/block you if you run afoul of them. The thing is, I’m on social media to have fun — to see friends, to chat with people new to me, to have a good time and to occasionally speak my mind about things I think are important. Sometimes in order for social media to be enjoyable, it has to be managed, otherwise the opportunities for others to make it less fun and enjoyable increases. Everyone has their own rules and guidelines they follow on social media. These are mine! They may not be yours, and that’s fine. You do your social media in the way that works for you.
Where can you be found on social media?
Here is the current list of places I hang out online, and what I tend to post on each service. It’ll be updated as I go along.
— JS
Adventures In Chicago, Part 3: Siena Tavern
Apr. 16th, 2025 09:37 pmscalziwhatever_feed
Welcome back to another tale from the Windy City! In this exciting third installment of my trip to Chicago, I’ll be telling you all about a restaurant called Siena Tavern. There were quite a few commenters last time that mentioned I should’ve asked The Langham’s concierge for dining recommendations, and I’m happy to report that I did in fact do so, and even had them make the reservation for me. They are helpful like that.
When we talked to the concierge, we mentioned we didn’t want a steakhouse, and Bryant doesn’t like seafood or sushi at all (tragic), so the concierge asked if Italian sounded good. We decided it did, and were told about Siena Tavern, an elevated Italian restaurant only a few blocks from our hotel.
When we arrived, I immediately liked the vibe of the interior. Large, semi-circle shaped booths, atmospheric lighting from the thin Edison style bulbs that were hanging from the ceiling, and a strange amount of gold framed mirrors. It was a unique style, modern yet comfortable. The first thing that caught my eye was the large, oval shaped bar. It was sleek and sophisticated looking, but I felt the beauty of the bar was detracted from by the TVs. I recognize it’s more of a personal distaste for screens in restaurants, and probably doesn’t bother other people as much, but I just think flatscreens are not the vibe if you’re not at a sports bar.
We were seated and presented with a paper menu. The restaurant is fairly dim, so each table has a mini lamp on it that makes it easier to read the menu:
I loved the idea of the “forget about it” option, where they just bring you four courses and a dessert and you get what you get, but I didn’t opt for it this time around. If I go back, I am so totally doing that next time.
Aside from the water we were brought, which was served in pretty green glasses, we ordered these two beverages off their Zero Proof menu:
I got the Lavender Bramble, with blueberry lavender, lime, lemon, and blackberries. Bryant got The Imposter, which was peach nectar, mint, and ginger beer. These were both super tasty! The lavender wasn’t too overpowering in mine, and they were both perfectly fizzy and fun, really great flavor combos. These were both $9, which I find to be a pretty good price for a mocktail. Aside from the mocktails, they have a really nice alcohol selection with some seriously interesting sounding cocktails.
We decided not to get an appetizer (very unlike me), and got two entrees, three sides, and two desserts.
The concierge had recommended two things when telling us about Siena Tavern, the first being the gnocchi, the second being the squid ink pasta. While I was very tempted to try the squid ink pasta, as I’ve never had it before and it sounded interesting, I cannot deny that gnocchi is my most favorite of all the pastas (or pasta-esque dish, since I know it’s not really a pasta). The concierge made the gnocchi sound so enticing, I simply had to get it:
Truffle cream with fried sage and pancetta. Sounded pretty dang good. Well, the concierge steered me right. This gnocchi was absolutely wonderful. Pillowy and soft gnocchi, creamy and trufflicious sauce, salty pancetta, it was a beautiful dish with all the best flavors and textures. Definitely one of the best gnocchi dishes I’ve ever had, I highly recommend these bad boys. It was $26, which I think is perfectly good for a main dish with truffle in it.
Bryant picked the braised short rib:
The short rib was served on top of a white truffle risotto, and had a red wine demi glace. The meat was fork tender, and the risotto had a nice truffle flavor without being overwhelming. I will say it was a little bit of a smaller portion of meat for sixty dollars, but it was definitely good. The short rib is one of their more expensive items, so I would say go ahead and splurge if you really love a nice short rib, but they do have more modestly priced options.
For the sides (which are listed as for serving two) we got these roasted carrots:
I am super picky about roasted carrots, and I really loved these ones. They were served on top of whipped ricotta, and topped with a spiced agave and pepitas. The agave sauce was like liquid gold, sweet and sticky goodness that highlighted the natural sweetness of the roasted carrots rather than overpower it. The whipped ricotta provided a rich, creamy contrast to the crunchy pepitas, and overall this was a balanced dish that I highly recommend.
We also got the caramelized Brussel sprouts:
Not to be confused with their shaved Brussel sprout salad, this side dish of Brussel sprouts is caramelized and served with pancetta. I think in the photo it kind of looks like a small portion of Brussel sprouts, but it was definitely enough for two, and I even took some in a to-go container. I liked the Brussel sprouts, I think the pancetta is a really classic addition that you can’t go wrong with. They were good but not like, the most amazing Brussel sprouts ever.
And our final side was the parmesan fries:
Served with ketchup and a lemon garlic aioli! While these fries were actually really good and nicely crispy, the presentation of them threw me off. So far, all of the dishware had been very nice pieces, especially the Brussel sprouts bowl, and in fact was a point of conversation between me and Bryant because we liked the dishes so much. So to be served fries in this weird tin can thing was honestly more amusing than anything else. I did really like the aioli, though.
All of the sides were fourteen dollars each.
And finally, something sweet to end the meal. Bryant opted for the tiramisu zabaione:
I felt like you couldn’t really see the dessert that well in the photo since it’s like, all inside of the glass, so I tried to get a little cross-section shot for y’all:
(It’s really not much better of a shot because it just kind of looks like a big ol’ spoonful of whipped cream.)
We had never heard of zabaione before, but apparently it’s an Italian dessert made with egg yolks and sugar, and is basically just like a light custard. So tiramisu custard, essentially. Honestly, there wasn’t much coffee flavor, and it just didn’t make much of an impression. Sadly I fear that this dish suffers from the issue of two really good things being combined to make a not-as-good thing. Like, we would’ve rather just had regular tiramisu.
For my dessert, I picked the orange olive oil cake:
This cake was seriously the bomb dot com. The cake itself was so dense and moist from the olive oil, and had a wonderful orange-y flavor that wasn’t acidic or overpowering. The vanilla gelato was so creamy and decadent, and you can literally see the vanilla beans in it. The candied orange was a really pretty garnish that added a nice contrast of texture, and overall the whole thing reminded me a lot of Crêpes Suzette. This dish was truly divine.
Both desserts were fourteen dollars, so everything together was close to $200.
As for the service aspect, it was pretty good. I wouldn’t say it was amazing, but the waiter did a perfectly fine job. I would say he just wasn’t the overly friendly type. Which is fine, not everyone has to be all the time. He was more like, a chill guy, I guess.
All in all, we really liked Siena Tavern. Good atmosphere, good prices, and good food. I would definitely go back and try the squid ink pasta, or maybe next time I’ll go for their brunch.
Have you been to Siena Tavern before? What were your thoughts? Have you had squid ink pasta? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Striving
Apr. 16th, 2025 12:22 pmsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
The main thing is to get back on the wagon.
Today's News:
paulcornell_feedMonarch: The Lost Adventures
That’s the title of a new comics anthology of stories set in the universe of the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters TV series, the world of the modern Godzilla/Kong films. Drew Zucker and Brad Simpson are my partners in art and colour art for the strip ‘The U.S.S. Lawton and the Ion Dragon’, and followers of the show may now have worked out what this is going to be. You can read all about it, and sign up for a Kickstarter with some wonderful extras, here.
(Cat Staggs’ standard cover.)
(Variant depicting my story, by Piotr Kowalski and Zid.)
A Bookstore Edition and a Waterstones signing for Who Killed Nessie?!
On 18th September, Avery Hill will be releasing a bookstore edition of Who Killed Nessie?, the graphic novel by myself and the great Rachael Smith.
You can pre-order it already from Amazon UK and Amazon US. And you can order it from all good bookstores and comic shops.
“The Loch Ness Monster has been murdered… it’s Lyndsay’s first day on the job, but it’s up to her to solve the crime! It’s Lyndsay Grockle’s first day as the manager of the Lakeview Hotel. Her boss has handed her the keys and departed for vacation. And then the convention attendees start showing up, each more peculiar than the last. Lyndsay’s a confirmed skeptic—so she’s surprised to be woken up in the middle of the night by her convention attendees, telling her that there’s been a murder… of the Loch Ness Monster. The guests at the hotel are all cryptids from around the world, and now one of them is dead. Which means that one of them must be the murderer. And it’s up to Lyndsay to solve the case!”
Those of you who backed the graphic novel on Zoop, don’t worry, you’ll be getting a unique edition with a different cover. (And you’ll be getting it first.)
And on Saturday, 20th September, from 1pm-2pm, Rachael and I will be signing the book (copies of which will be on sale) at Waterstones London-Piccadilly!
You can read all about that free-to-attend event here. I hope to see you there!
(Cover by Rachael Smith.)
Jill Mansell at Fairford Festival
On Saturday, June 7th at 2pm, as part of Fairford Festival in Gloucestershire, I’ll be interviewing bestselling romance author Jill Mansell about her career. (I’ll also be running the Festival Quiz on the Sunday night and doing a couple more bits and pieces too.) You can find out more info and buy tickets here.
Thought Bubble
Our application has been accepted, so I’m pleased to say that Lizbeth Myles and I will once more be tabling at the wonderful Thought Bubble comic convention in Harrogate on November 15th and 16th.
Of Intrigue and Espionage
I have a story in this just-announced forthcoming volume from Stars and Sabers publishing, which is due out in October 2026. I’m in good company, as you can see from the full announcement here.
Ace Jacket
I’ve contributed a short story to this anthology in aid of autism charities, edited by Sophie Aldred and Shawn J. Levy. It’s out on June 17th. You can read all about it and pre-order a copy here.
‘The Longest War’
That’s the title of the issue of Commando I’ve written, which is tentatively due to be released in August. The artist is the great Steve Yeowell, and it’s amazing work. I’m delighted to have contributed to this very exacting classic format. More news nearer the time!
(Cover rough by Steve Yeowell.)
The Mighty Avengers Vs. the 1970s
I’ve got a book coming out from Bloomsbury that’s part of a new range of popular studies of Marvel Comics! The Mighty Avengers vs. the 1970s is fully illustrated with panels from the comics, and is my journey through how Marvel’s main super team navigated that difficult decade. (Release date, etc., TBA.) You can read the announcement here at AP News. This is very much a labour of love for me, a book I’ve wanted to find a way to write for the longest time.
Gnomes of Lychford and The Lychford Collection
On 9th September, Tor.com Publishing is releasing the sixth book in my Lychford series of rural fantasy novellas, Gnomes of Lychford. It’s a re-editing of the serial I ran on this newsletter, and I’ve taken the opportunity to sort out a couple of little plot problems.
I think it’s my best Lychford book, and, weirdly, it’s a great jumping-on point, because everything about the series is explained at the start.
You can read all about it here.
“An unlikely group of supernatural creatures terrorizes the sleepy village of Lychford. Okay, they’re gnomes. That’s not a spoiler: you worked it out it from the title. When an ancient prophecy clashes with an unfortunate modern design aesthetic, the people of Lychford must band together to put out fires (both literal and metaphorical) to save their town before the king of the Gnomes (King Greg, and it’s dangerous to laugh at a gnome) calls in the terms of an old promise.
Trouble is: no one knows what the promise is, nor how to fulfil it.
It’s going to be a long night.”
On the same day, they’ll also be publishing The Lychford Collection, which contains my first three Lychford novellas
Telefantasy Time Jump
The new podcast from me and Lizbeth Myles, Telefantasy Time Jump, is out now. In this series, every month we’ll be covering a show from the history of UK Science Fiction and Fantasy TV, as we make our way through that history, starting with 1953 and The Quatermass Experiment. We’ll also be talking about what else was released that year.
Episodes will be released on the 14th of every month, and you can find them wherever you get your podcasts. April’s episode covers 1956, and thus The Adventures of Sir Lancelot.
If you become a Patron at £3/$3 or above, you also get an extra monthly episode on the 28th of every month, covering what the rest of the world was doing in SFF TV in that same year. For 1956, we’ll be covering Playhouse 90.
You also get access to seven years of bonus episodes from the Hammer House of Podcast archive.
We hope you’ll join us on our new journey. You can find all the details, and listen to the episodes, here.
My Ko-fi and eBay Stores
I’ve re-stocked my Ko-fi store, where you can buy my books and comics, signed and personalised, for shipping worldwide.
Similarly, I’ve now re-stocked my ebay store, full of Bronze Age Marvel comics at bargain prices.
My Linktree
You can now find all my social media links, my website/blog and links to where you can buy my books, in one place here, thanks to Linktree!
Please Feel Free to Share:
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Security
Apr. 15th, 2025 11:37 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
WELL, the freaks on patreon felt that the word 'using' was a little ambiguous.
Today's News:
Adventures In Chicago, Part 2: Smith & Wollensky
Apr. 14th, 2025 07:25 pmscalziwhatever_feedHowdy, y’all! Welcome to the second installment of my adventures in Chicago. In the first of this series, I went over our dwelling, which was The Langham. Equally as important as where you stay is where you eat, and we started our stay in Chicago by eating at Smith & Wollensky, a renowned steakhouse on the river right next to our hotel.
On the drive up to Chicago, I had asked Bryant what he wanted for dinner, as it was his birthday (which is why we were staying in a suite at The Langham, too, for that matter). He said a steakhouse sounded nice, and of course Chicago has no shortage of those. I wasn’t sure which one to pick, since there’s so many to choose from, but came across one that had significantly more good reviews than anywhere else I saw.
Smith & Wollensky had over 9,000 reviews with a 4.7 rating. The photos looked good, the menu looked alright, so we both decided to give it a try. I made us a reservation for 5pm that evening and included that the occasion we were celebrating was a birthday. I also learned that there are multiple locations in the US, like in Boston, New York, and Vegas, as well as a ton of international locations such as London, Tokyo, and Seoul. Quite an impressive reach.
Upon arrival, it was actually pretty empty. There was wooden floors, hanging lights, huge windows for looking out onto the river, white table cloths on every table, and very interesting spring green chairs. Definitely had the vibe of “fancy steakhouse” going for it.
We were seated in a back corner, at a table next to what felt like the only other people in there at the time. We were given a large menu that had food on the front, and drinks on the back.
Then the server put a big tablet down on the table that apparently contained a list of all the wine. I was immediately put off by this, as the tablet felt tacky and I didn’t want a glowing screen in my face. I felt like I was at an Applebee’s or Olive Garden, where the tablets on every table are sticky and an eyesore. It wasn’t the most egregious thing to ever happen, but that plus the comically large, flimsy menu detracted from the “fancy” vibe.
Moving on, they brought some bread out for us:
The bread itself was fine, but the butter was unsalted and made for a very plain, lackluster bite.
When the server asked for our drink orders, I asked her her opinions on the non-alcoholic “All Day Rosé” VS the “Kylie N/A Sparkling Rosé.” She told me she preferred the Kylie, so I went with that.
This was perfectly enjoyable, it mostly just tasted like less sweet Welch’s white grape juice, but I liked it fine enough. It was fourteen dollars a glass.
For our starter, we went with the burrata:
The burrata came with a basil and cilantro pesto, tomato chutney, and crostini. It had the option to add prosciutto for six extra dollars, turning this from a twenty dollar appetizer into a twenty-six dollar one.
Bryant and I agreed that this seemed like a dish that had been premade yesterday, covered and put it in a fridge, and then when we ordered it was taken out, uncovered, and brought to the table. The bread was so cold and hard, it honestly seemed like two day old bread with how stale it was. While I did really enjoy the tomato chutney, the rest of the dish was entirely forgettable, and ultimately not worth the almost thirty dollars.
For our entree, we actually decided to split one of their American Wagyu. We settled on the “Wagyu Manhattan Cut”, which is a 9oz gold grade wagyu with a coffee and cocoa rub, with roasted corn puree, chimichurri, and smoked tableside. We ordered it medium. I’m not entirely sure why, but they decided to smoke it a couple tables away from us, so we actually had to turn and look three tables away to see our steak get smoked before they brought it over to us. So, a more accurate description here would be, “smoked table adjacent.”
Anyways, here’s how it looked:
It is just me, or does that look really unappetizing for some reason? Actually, I know it’s not just me, because Bryant said it didn’t look very good, and while writing this post my mom looked over, saw that picture, and said that it looked very unappetizing and she couldn’t believe it was $99.
Though we ordered it medium, it was undeniably rare, yet had a burnt flavor to it. I absolutely adore chimichurri, especially when on a fantastic steak, but this was without a doubt the single worst chimichurri I have ever tasted. It looked and tasted like it was out of a bottle from the store. As much as I disliked this steak, Bryant was even more disappointed in it than I was, and didn’t care to finish his half. I finished mine only because of the price, not because I liked it.
As for the side to this wagyu, we got the truffle fries:
We actually did enjoy these fries, they had a nice truffle flavor and were a good texture, I just wish they had been served with something other than ketchup. I don’t really like ketchup on my truffle fries, I don’t think the flavors go well together and the ketchup usually overwhelms the truffle. I would’ve much preferred an aioli of some kind. Plus, these were fifteen dollars, which seems like entirely too much.
For my second drink, I got their N/A Blackberry Burlesque:
Made with tea, blackberry puree, ginger beer, lime, and mint, I quite enjoyed this drink. It felt like how a mocktail should feel, flavorful and refreshing and fun. With the ginger beer and mint, it tasted a lot like a Moscow mule, which is one of my favorite cocktails. So this faux blackberry mule was a win in my book. It was fifteen dollars.
Finally, it was time for dessert, and since it was Bryant’s birthday, we were told he could pick out any dessert (other than the Tableside Baked Alaska For Two), and it would be on the house. He decided on the apple tart, which would’ve been twelve dollars if it hadn’t been free:
I do so love a birthday candle in a restaurant dessert. This apple tart, made with puff pastry, granny smith apples, and blackcurrant jam, was topped with vanilla ice cream, and there was even a little “happy birthday” chocolate. The dessert was quite tart (ha, it’s a tart that’s tart) from the granny smith apples, and the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream really balanced it out. It was pretty tasty!
For my dessert, I got the vanilla bean crème brûlée, also a twelve dollar dessert:
I thought this crème brûlée was presented very prettily, with a perfectly torched top and accompanying raspberries and mint. The portion was actually quite large, the black tub it was served in was fairly deep. For the taste, I must say it was truly on the side of “adequate.” It honestly just tasted like store-bought crème brûlée, and was somewhat bland. I’m not mad at it, just disappointed.
All in all, Smith & Wollensky was a huge letdown, and I wouldn’t recommend going there if you’re in the area. While the food varied from incredibly mid to actively bad, the service was fine. Our waitress was plenty nice and did her job.
Honestly, the thing our experience was most impacted by (other than the food) was the table next to us, which was a family with three iPad kids that were not well behaved at all, and when the mom tried to take the young boy’s tablet away when their food came, he threw an absolute fit and it was just wholly unpleasant to be seated next to them. This of course is no fault of the restaurant’s, but it certainly didn’t help with our experience of the atmosphere and restaurant as a whole.
When I told two of my Chicago friends about the experience, they said that Smith & Wollensky’s is one of those places that sadly went downhill after COVID, and is now pretty much just being held up by its name and reputation alone. So they also don’t recommend it.
Overall, I was really disappointed by Smith & Wollensky, and so was Bryant. I couldn’t wait to write a scathing review, which I genuinely feel is so unlike me because usually if I don’t like a restaurant, I just won’t write about it. I feel this is different, because usually when I have that mentality of “if I don’t have anything nice to say, I won’t say anything at all,” it’s about local restaurants and small businesses, owned by people in my community that are just trying to pursue their small town dreams. I feel differently about a steakhouse that can be found all over the world.
As much as I couldn’t wait to write a negative review and tell you all how bad everything was, my venom has mostly expired over this past week and a half. I started thinking that maybe my experience would’ve been better if I had spoken up about our issues. I didn’t give them a chance to correct their mistakes, or offer some sort of compensation. How can they fix something if they don’t know I’m unhappy?
But I also feel that things shouldn’t have been bad enough that I’d have to complain in the first place. This is “America’s Steakhouse,” a fine dining establishment in some of the largest cities, the name of the game is luxury and hospitality, so I really don’t feel like there should’ve been this much to complain about at all.
Have you been to Smith & Wollensky in Chicago before? What about a different location? What did you think? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
And Now, Two(!) Limited Editions of “Moon” From the UK
Apr. 14th, 2025 06:46 pmscalziwhatever_feed
Limited editions are having a moment, along with book club editions and such, and above you’ll see two examples of this, for When the Moon Hits Your Eye. The one on the left has a slightly chromatically altered cover, and the one on the right has an alternate cover entirely, but what’s really cool about both are the painted edges. See, look:
Seriously, how cool is that.
I’m digging these alternate versions and I’ think ‘m glad I get author copies so I don’t have to choose between them. I hope this trend will continue.
— JS
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - If then
Apr. 14th, 2025 12:30 pmsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
I hereby release this to any introductory logic professor who isn't a coward.
Today's News:
The First Mowing of the Year
Apr. 13th, 2025 10:59 pmscalziwhatever_feed
The grass has gotten green enough, and the weather (barely) warm enough that Krissy decided the yard needed a mowing, the first of the year. And well, here it is. So neat and tidy! Krissy will now be mowing more or less every week through late October or early November depending. I would do it as well but I have cut grass allergies and also she doesn’t like the way I do it, so all told it’s better for me to let her handle it. As someone who likes being indoors in any event, this is not a hardship for me, I assure you.
Also, I am back from Chicago and the C2E2 convention, both of which were lovely. It is even lovelier to be home.
— JS
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Sci
Apr. 13th, 2025 11:48 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
Have I told you about my Pop Sci extravaganza A City on Mars?
Today's News:
Checking Out Small Town Productions’ Springtime Market
Apr. 12th, 2025 02:22 pmscalziwhatever_feedA couple of months ago, I saw something while scrolling on Facebook about a “spring time market” at the local county fairgrounds. I put it on my calendar so I would remember to actually try and go when the time came. Well, lo and behold, this is the one weekend of the entire month that I’m not out of state for, and I actually remembered to go to this event!
An organization called Small Town Productions was hosting this Springtime Market at the Miami County Fairgrounds, and after looking at their Instagram, they’re basically a group that puts on pop-up markets featuring local vendors and food trucks, so you can shop and dine within your community.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it, as I hadn’t seen anything about it since I initially learned of its existence, but I did remember it said “shopping, food trucks, massage, facials, tattoos, permanent jewelry.” I like all of those things, so I figured it would be decent, at least.
Upon arriving, I was thankful to find that there was free parking. The event was held in one of fairground’s big barns, and set up like a farmer’s market/craft show, with all the different vendors’ booths set up inside, and the food trucks stationed outside the barn. The market had opened at four, and I had arrived at about four thirty. Though parking was free, the admission fee into the market was $5. Little did I know that the first 25 people in the door received a special coupon. I got a $5 off any retail purchase, and $5 off any food vendor purchase, as well as a free ticket to two of the organization’s upcoming events. Lucky me!
When I walked in, there was honestly a lot to look at:
It wasn’t absolutely massive or anything, but it was definitely decently sized and set up very nicely.
The first booth I ventured to was called Golden Lights Co., and they had the most adorable bookmark charm bar set up where you could pick out a bookmark, add a tassel/ribbon, and choose from tons of different charms to make your own custom bookmark. They had so many different designs of bookmarks to choose from, as well as some super cute charms. I absolutely loved that idea, but didn’t get one because I don’t really read that much. I did, however, get some stickers, a coloring book, and a candle.
This candle smelled like I was far away on a beach. The coconut and vanilla were really lovely, and it has a wood wick. The owner and the other girl working the booth were both really friendly and I enjoyed chatting with them. I recommend checking out their Instagram, as it seems to be a little more updated than their website.
I moved on to the next booth, which was called Baker’s Pantry. They offered loaves of sourdough, brownies, cookie bars, and more. I ended up getting this big ol’ cookie bar:
This one was oatmeal white chocolate cran. I figured it would be good, but holy moly this thing was so delish! It was chewy, not dry at all, packed to the brim with craisins, and it tasted like she used brown butter to make it. I’m not sure if she actually did, but it definitely had that deeply rich and toasty flavor that is oh-so-yummy. This was so good and only five bucks!
Across from the baked goods booth was Lisa’s Pretzels. She had a ton of different flavors of gourmet hand dipped pretzels to choose from, and honestly I had choice paralysis and just ended up buying a sampler pack that comes with one of everything:
The sampler pack was fifteen dollars, or about fifty cents a pretzel. And here they are all laid out:
So there’s 32 different flavors of pretzels, and one haystack. Not only does each pretzel have a label on the back telling you which flavor it is, but the card that came stapled to the sampler pack has a tiny photo of every different pretzel with its flavor listed right under it. Super helpful, I think. I did not try every pretzel before writing this post, but I did eat half of half of them to get a good feel for the product before commenting on them.
I love how much variety of flavors there is, plus who doesn’t love a haystack? I think some of the most standout ones that I tried were the blackberry cheesecake, coconut, praline pecan, and the pineapple jalapeno. Yes, that’s right, there’s a pineapple jalapeno one and it is spicy.
I think these would be really fun for a party or event, and she does sell party boxes but also does custom orders. (Also, if for some reason you didn’t believe me and counted the pretzels yourself, then yes, you are correct in the fact you only see 31 pretzels and not 32. That’s because I left one in the bag when taking this photo and didn’t realize it until after!)
Continuing my stroll around, there was a syrup shop that sold specialty flavored syrups for coffee and tea, which I think is really cool but I don’t make coffee or tea at home. They had a really cute set up and were called The Good Way if you’re interested in checking them out.
Then there was a booth that had this beautiful build your own bouquet station set up:
Of course, I had to make one:
This bouquet cost me $18 dollars since I had nine stems total. This booth also sold candles and wax melts, and I ended up getting two scents of wax melts, which were nine dollars each:
I looked up the candle/wax melt brand, which is called Five Willows Candle Co., and their candles and wax melts are all premium coconut blended wax. They also say they contain no additives or dyes, and use phthalate free fragrance oils. The lady working the booth was so nice and even complimented my bouquet making skills! I’m not sure if she was the owner but she was very friendly. And they have an Instagram, too.
I also stopped by Pine Grove Living, which is a children’s clothing boutique, because I saw an absolutely adorable sage green sweater that I wanted to get for my cousin’s youngest kid. I didn’t take a photo but it was a really nice sweater and they have an Instagram. The sweater was a bit pricey at $27 but I’ve definitely seen similar prices for stuff at Kohl’s and I’d rather buy from a small business anyway.
I passed by more candle booths, a photography booth, the flash tattoo station, the permanent jewelry station, a pottery booth, a couple different woodwork booths, there was even an animal shelter set up there that you could adopt from and they had PUPPIES! I dared not go over to them because I would have left with a puppy.
I did, however, saddle on up to a booth with some beautiful stained glass pieces. I figured I would only get one stained glass piece because they’re generally a bit pricier of items, but I was shocked to find that all of their pieces were super affordable! I know you’re probably thinking, what do I consider to be affordable for stained glass art? Let’s take a look.
This butterfly was $30.
This moon heart was $45.
And this big one was $38!
All of these pieces were under fifty bucks, and come with a chain to hang it up with. I even got this little plant stake for my one and only house plant that I got two weeks ago:
This booth also sold bars of soap, which I thought was an interesting combination of things to sell, but I did buy two bars which were seven dollars each:
So I looked up their soap brand on Instagram, but couldn’t find a page for their stained glass art. However, in the email receipt they sent me, it says “Dreamland Soap/Opalescent Sunshine Stained Glass.” So I’m not sure why their Insta is only soap but they do have great stained glass art! Anyways, these soaps smelled really nice, the fresh linen was so clean and fresh smelling, and the black raspberry and cream was right up my alley.
So that is everything I bought, but there were lots of other great vendors, too! The one thing I didn’t see that was previously advertised was the massages and facials. I don’t know if I just missed them somehow, but I went around the barn twice and didn’t see them anywhere. That was really disappointing because I would’ve loved to get a chair massage or something like that, I absolutely love massages and think it would’ve made a great addition to all the retail and food.
So, now that the shopping was done, it was time to get some stuff from the food truck and head out. There were only three food trucks, which I honestly thought there’d be more, and for a real meal there was really only one food truck, as one was a coffee food truck and one was kettle corn.
The coffee truck was Beanhive Coffee Co., who I did not get this time but have in fact had a couple times before, as they tend to travel around this area in their cute little cart. They’re good! Definitely give them a try if you see them. They also have an Instagram and Facebook if you want to see where they’ll be.
The kettle corn truck was Cumberland Kettle Corn. I got a bag of regular kettle corn for eight dollars and a bag of caramel kettle corn for ten, though if you bought two bags you got a dollar off your purchase. I tried both and it’s good kettle corn, I do prefer the regular over the caramel, though.
And of course, I had to get food from Lumpia Queen, a Filipino food truck.
This truck was actually at the Miami County Food Truck Rally I went to last year, but last time I only tried something small from them, and this time I got several different things to try.
Here was their chicken pancit, with a chicken lumpia for ten dollars:
These noodles were so yummy and really bright from the lime and green onion. I love noodles so I’m glad I tried this.
I also got the chicken adobo with a veggie lumpia for ten dollars:
These chicken wings were huge and really well cooked, not dry at all. The flavor was barbecue-y and delicious.
And I got an order of beef lumpia on their own, which was $7:
And the money shot:
Talk about yum! These lumpias were so crispy and tasted extra good with the sweet chili sauce. My favorite ended up being the veggie one, but all were good.
They have an Instagram, too.
So, there you have it, my haul from “The Small Town Springtime Market.” I had a great time perusing all these different small businesses and talking with nice people, I’m really happy with everything I got. Still wish I’d gotten a puppy, though.
Anyways, I wanted to post this piece ASAP because the market is actually going on today (Saturday, April 12th) from 10am (right now!) to 4pm. And they’ll be there tomorrow from 10am to 2pm, as well. So I really wanted to let any local peeps reading the blog know about it in case you wanted to go check it out. You can buy your tickets at the door, and they give you a wristband in case you want to go out to the food trucks or out to your car or something.
Have you had Filipino food before? Do you like stained glass art? Would you try the pineapple jalapeno pretzel? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Virtue
Apr. 12th, 2025 09:38 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
This is one of those rare places where after talking to practitioners I had my perspective deeply changed. Perhaps you will too?
Today's News:
Meanwhile, In real life ...
Apr. 11th, 2025 01:15 pmcharlie_stross_diary_feedATTENTION CONSERVATION NOTICE
I am off to Eastercon in Belfast tomorrow afternoon.
I will not be back until late the following Tuesday evening.
IF PEOPLE VIOLATE MY WARNING ABOUT POSTING POTENTIALLY UNLAWFUL CONTENT IN THE COMMENTS I WILL DISABLE ALL COMMENTS ON THE BLOG GLOBALLY UNTIL I'M BACK.
As I will almost certainly not have time to monitor the blog effectively while I'm in Belfast at the first whiff of trouble it'll be comments: disabled.
I'm probably going to be scarce around these parts (my blog) for the next several weeks, because real life is having its say.
In the short term, it's not bad news: I'm going to the British Eastercon in Belfast next weekend, traveling there and back by coach and ferry (thereby avoiding airport security theatre) and taking a couple of days extra because I haven't been back to Belfast since 2019. Needless to say, blogging will not be on my list of priorities.
Yes, I'm on some programme items while I'm there.
Longer term: I'm 60, I have some health problems, those go with the territory (of not being dead). I've been developing cataracts in both eyes and these are making reading and screen-work fatiguing, so I'm seeing a surgeon on May 1st in order hopefully to be given a schedule for being stabbed in both eyes over the coming months. Ahem: I mean, cataract surgery. Note that I am not looking for advice or help at this time, I've got matters well in hand. (Yes, this is via the NHS. Yes, private surgery is an option I've investigated: if the NHS can handle it on roughly the same time scale and not bill me £3500 per eye I will happily save the money. Yes, I know about the various replacement lens options and have a good idea of what I want. No, do not tell me your grisly stories about your friends who went blind, or how different lens replacement surgery is in Ulan Bator or Mississippi, or how to work the American medical insurance hellscape—all of these things are annoying and pointless distractions and reading is fatiguing right now.)
I have another health issue under investigation so I'm getting a colonoscopy the day after I see the eye surgeon, which means going straight from blurred vision from mydriatic eye drops to blurred vision from the world falling out of my arse, happy joy. (Again: advice not wanted. I've have colonoscopies before, I know the routine.)
Of course, with eye surgery likely in the next couple of months of course the copy-edits for The Regicide Report will inevitably come to me for review at the same time. (Again: this is already taken into account, and the editors are aware there might be a slight scheduling conflict.)
... And while I'm not dealing with medical stuff or copy edits I've got to get my annual accounts in order, and I'm trying to work on two other novels (because the old space opera project from 2015 needs to be finished some decade or other, and meanwhile a new attack novel is badgering me to write it).
(Finally, it is very difficult to write science fiction when the wrong sort of history is dominating the news cycle 24x7, especially as the larger part of my income is based on sales of books paid for in a foreign currency, and the head of state of the nation that backs that currency seems to be trying to destroy the international trade and financial system. I'm managing, somehow—I now have the first two chapters of a Stainless Steel Rat tribute novel set in my new space opera universe—but it's very easy to get distra—oh fuck, what's Trump done now?)
PS: the next book out, in January 2026, will be The Regicide Report, the last Bob/Mo Laundry novel (for now). It's been accepted and edited and it's in production. This is set in stone.
The space opera I began in 2015, my big fat Iain M. Banks tribute novel Ghost Engine, is currently 80% of the way through it's third re-write, cooling down while I try and work out what I need to do to finally stick the ending. It is unsold (except in the UK, where an advance has been paid).
The other current project, begun in 2025, is going to be my big fat tribute to Harry Harrison's The Stainless Steel Rat, titled Starter Pack. It's about 1 week old and maybe 10% written in first draft. Do not ask when it's coming out or I will be very rude indeed (also, see health stuff above).
Those two are both set in the same (new) universe, a fork of the time-line in my 2010 Hugo winning time travel novella Palimpsest.
There's also a half-written New Management novella gathering dust, pending feedback on the Laundry/New Management and what to do next, but nothing is going to happen with that until after The Regicide Report is in print and hopefully I've got one or two space operas written and into production.
Bear in mind that these are all uncommissioned/unsold projects and may never see the light of day. Do not make any assumptions about them! They could be cancelled tomorrow if Elon Musk buys all the SF publishers or Donald Trump imposes 10,000% tariffs on British exports of science fiction or something. All warranties expired on everything globally on January 20th 2025, and we're just along for the ride ...
Adventures In Chicago, Part 1: The Langham
Apr. 11th, 2025 12:02 amscalziwhatever_feedWhen traveling, you cannot underestimate the importance of where you stay. For me, there’s only one answer when visiting Chicago: The Langham. If you’re looking for luxury, you won’t find anywhere better.
The Langham was established in London in 1865, but now can be found all over the world, including in Australia, Italy, China, and more. As for the US, you can find them in Chicago, Boston, New York, and Los Angeles, with two more locations soon to be in Seattle and San Francisco.
While I have only stayed at their Chicago location (twice), there is no hotel more elegant. Their building in the AMA Plaza may have a subtle appearance, but the inside is certainly worth writing home about. From their regal lobby, to their stately rooms, to their staff’s dapper attire, sophistication can be found in every corner of the hotel.
The Langham, though grand and opulent, is not just prized by me for its looks. At The Langham, I feel like I am truly, honestly, a valued guest, and am welcomed with the most sincere hospitality. It’s where I go if I’m in the mood to be treated like royalty. The staff makes everything a breeze, from valeting my car, to having my bags taken to your room, to getting checked in, the staff is wildly welcoming and they truly take everything off my plate for me. My worries are left at the door.
Not to mention their incredible concierges. If you’re looking to book a brunch, want recommendations on what to do, or need directions, the concierge will be more than helpful. They can recommend you ten different restaurants, point them out on the map, and book you a table at one for dinner that night in less than five minutes.
I’d also like to give a huge shoutout to the housekeepers as well, as their attention to detail in cleaning and tidying up the rooms is unparalleled. The first time I stayed there last year, I had my clothes haphazardly in a pile in the corner of the room and one of the housekeepers FOLDED ALL OF THEM. I was shocked, as I would’ve never asked or expected that of them.
Also, The Langham is one of the few hotels that truly meets my standards of “clean” when it comes to the shower and tub. Usually, even if a hotel has a tub, I won’t use it because it isn’t quite clean enough for me. As for The Langham, though, their large soaking tubs are a delight I particularly love about staying there.
Speaking of which, here’s some photos of the suite we stayed in. This was one of their junior suites:
(Stuffed animals not included.)
And the bathroom, with a vanity stool and his and her sinks (which I adore):
And of course, the aforementioned shower and tub:
Off to the left there is the toilet, which is enclosed in its own separate area away from everything else which I love because whose idea was it to put the thing you go to the bathroom in in the same room as where you brush your teeth?! Also, the glass for the tub has a privacy glass setting, which whites it out so it can’t be seen through. Plus, it’s hard to see in this shot but there is in fact a rainfall showerhead.
Not only do they include full sized shampoo, conditioner, and body wash to use during your stay, but they also have a fancy leather box full of little kits for you to use if needed. There’s a dental kit that includes a toothbrush and tiny tube of toothpaste, a shaving kit, a sewing kit, a vanity kit, and more that I can’t remember. I know that most hotels have an iron and ironing board, but The Langham has a nice steamer. And if you read my post from a week or two ago, you know I am fiend for a nice steamer. That’s one thing I hate about living out of a suitcase, all your clothes are wrinkly! Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue with the steamer on deck. Plus, they have laundry services and even shoe shining service available.
My parents actually stayed at The Langham in London and they said it was lovely. They even partook in their renowned tea service, which they highly recommended to me. I really want to do that at some point, as I love an afternoon tea time.
The one in Chicago has an indoor pool, steam room, Himalayan salt sauna, herbal sauna, and of course a full spa with massages, wraps, acupuncture, and more. Sadly, I have yet to experience any of those things I just listed, but I sure would like to!
And the final thing I want to mention (and this one I actually did partake in), is their Private Cinema Suite. They have a room that has a 111-inch screen, and comfortable seating for up to 12 people. There’s also a snack cart stocked with candy, popcorn, and sodas for you to enjoy and it’s included in the cost of renting the room out. They actually have a very interesting selection of almost 200 movies to choose from, and a lot of films I honestly wouldn’t expect. They even had Megamind, which y’all know is a personal favorite of mine.
Anyways, what I’m getting at here is The Langham is nice. I really cannot recommend it enough. It is expensive, but I truly feel that you get your money’s worth in every aspect possible. I would love to stay at some of their other locations sometime.
Have you ever stayed in a Langham before? What was your experience like? Do you recommend any other good hotels? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
