#scalzi — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #scalzi, aggregated by home.social.
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#Scifi #authors #Scalzi & #Stross decry #AI's dystopian impact on their craft
LLMs are theft by 'absolute scum' who make life harder for writers
"They're stealing copyrighted material to train an #LLM that is intended to compete for revenue with the authors of the works they stole, and they're fine-tuning their LLMs to make them as addictive as possible in order to maximize future revenue once they pivot to token sales as their main source of income," #CharlesStross wrote
https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/08/03/sci-fi-authors-scalzi-and-stross-decry-ais-dystopian-impact-on-their-craft/5282176 -
#Scifi #authors #Scalzi & #Stross decry #AI's dystopian impact on their craft
LLMs are theft by 'absolute scum' who make life harder for writers
"They're stealing copyrighted material to train an #LLM that is intended to compete for revenue with the authors of the works they stole, and they're fine-tuning their LLMs to make them as addictive as possible in order to maximize future revenue once they pivot to token sales as their main source of income," #CharlesStross wrote
https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/08/03/sci-fi-authors-scalzi-and-stross-decry-ais-dystopian-impact-on-their-craft/5282176 -
Interesting Links–Week of 5/6/2026
John Scalzi heard back from the FBI about his request for their (admittedly thin to the point of non-existant) file on him. Whomst amongst us has never wondered if the FBI file we joke must exist on us is actually there? I know my own jokes about an FBI file go back to things like being interviewed by a local socialist paper for my (albeit small) involvement with anti-Iraq War demonstrations at my high school. Michael Damien Thomas of Uncanny Magazine talks about how community shapes science […]https://alexanderkeane.com/2026/05/06/interesting-links-week-of-5-6-2026/
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Interesting Links–Week of 5/6/2026
John Scalzi heard back from the FBI about his request for their (admittedly thin to the point of non-existant) file on him. Whomst amongst us has never wondered if the FBI file we joke must exist on us is actually there? I know my own jokes about an FBI file go back to things like being interviewed by a local socialist paper for my (albeit small) involvement with anti-Iraq War demonstrations at my high school. Michael Damien Thomas of Uncanny Magazine talks about how community shapes science […]https://alexanderkeane.com/2026/05/06/interesting-links-week-of-5-6-2026/
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Interesting Links–Week of 4/1/26
Charlie Jane Anders wrote about the difficulties of making YA Star Trek as a reaction to the cancelation of Starfleet Academy. It's an interesting look at the ethos at the core of the YA genre, of Star Trek, and of Star Wars. There's interesting overlaps of Star Wars and Star Trek both being visions of the role of the United States post-World War II. Marcia B. of Traverse Fantasy wrote a review of the third edition of OSRIC, a first-edition AD&D retroclone. I like the analysis of retroclones […]https://alexanderkeane.com/2026/04/01/interesting-links-week-of-4-1-26/
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Interesting Links–Week of 4/1/26
Charlie Jane Anders wrote about the difficulties of making YA Star Trek as a reaction to the cancelation of Starfleet Academy. It's an interesting look at the ethos at the core of the YA genre, of Star Trek, and of Star Wars. There's interesting overlaps of Star Wars and Star Trek both being visions of the role of the United States post-World War II. Marcia B. of Traverse Fantasy wrote a review of the third edition of OSRIC, a first-edition AD&D retroclone. I like the analysis of retroclones […]https://alexanderkeane.com/2026/04/01/interesting-links-week-of-4-1-26/
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Rich people show their appreciation through favors. When everyone you know has more money than they know what to do with, money stops being a useful transactional tool. So instead you offer favors. Deals. Quid pro quos. Things that involve personal involvement rather than money. Because when you’re that rich, your personal time is your limiting factor.
John Scalzi (b. 1969) American writer
Lock In, ch. 3 [Shane] (2014)More about this quote: wist.info/scalzi-john/35293/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #scalzi #johnscalzi #lockin #cost #deal #exchange #favor #involvement #money #onepercent #price #quidproquo #rich #service #transaction #wealth #wealthy
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Rich people show their appreciation through favors. When everyone you know has more money than they know what to do with, money stops being a useful transactional tool. So instead you offer favors. Deals. Quid pro quos. Things that involve personal involvement rather than money. Because when you’re that rich, your personal time is your limiting factor.
John Scalzi (b. 1969) American writer
Lock In, ch. 3 [Shane] (2014)More about this quote: wist.info/scalzi-john/35293/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #scalzi #johnscalzi #lockin #cost #deal #exchange #favor #involvement #money #onepercent #price #quidproquo #rich #service #transaction #wealth #wealthy
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@lizmeyer
The newest one I have is the last of @cstross ' #Laundry novels, The Regicide Report.
I don't know if you are ready up in that series, I think this is good so far but probably not an ideal entry point.#ArtificialNoodle is slightly but amusing.
#Scalzi's #OldMansWar series has another one out, a reasonable continuation. The first one was another good effort at a response to #StarshipTroopers the #Heinlein book not film, and to #Haldeman 's #TheForeverWar
#TheStoneWeta newish...
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@lizmeyer
The newest one I have is the last of @cstross ' #Laundry novels, The Regicide Report.
I don't know if you are ready up in that series, I think this is good so far but probably not an ideal entry point.#ArtificialNoodle is slightly but amusing.
#Scalzi's #OldMansWar series has another one out, a reasonable continuation. The first one was another good effort at a response to #StarshipTroopers the #Heinlein book not film, and to #Haldeman 's #TheForeverWar
#TheStoneWeta newish...
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I’m enjoying my Godzilla fan fiction. About 3/4 of the way in.
#Reading #SciFi #Scalzi #JohnScalzi #KaijuPreservationSociety #Kaiju #Godzilla #FanFic
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I’m enjoying my Godzilla fan fiction. About 3/4 of the way in.
#Reading #SciFi #Scalzi #JohnScalzi #KaijuPreservationSociety #Kaiju #Godzilla #FanFic
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I recently picked up some physical #books at a used #bookstore. I'm trying to get back to recreational #reading again instead of scrolling #socialmedia or watching random #youtube videos. Did you know printed books have almost no ads, commercials, sponsored content, popups, prompts to subscribe to newsletters or to accept cookies? I can just sit and read a story. It's... kinda nice.
Last night I started reading Redshirts by John #Scalzi. It's good so far! #scifi
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I recently picked up some physical #books at a used #bookstore. I'm trying to get back to recreational #reading again instead of scrolling #socialmedia or watching random #youtube videos. Did you know printed books have almost no ads, commercials, sponsored content, popups, prompts to subscribe to newsletters or to accept cookies? I can just sit and read a story. It's... kinda nice.
Last night I started reading Redshirts by John #Scalzi. It's good so far! #scifi
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Picking my next read. What will it be? Sometimes I read the first few pages and see what grabs me.
#sarahkendzior
#KathleenHanna
#Scalzi
#BarbaraKingsolver
#bookstodon -
Picking my next read. What will it be? Sometimes I read the first few pages and see what grabs me.
#sarahkendzior
#KathleenHanna
#Scalzi
#BarbaraKingsolver
#bookstodon -
🆕 blog! “Book Review: The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi (Old Man's War Book 7)”
★★★⯪☆I'm reasonably sure I've read all the "Old Man's War" books. As the last one was published a decade ago, you'll forgive me if I don't remember all the intricacies of galactic politics and interpersonal intrigue. Thankfully, Scalzi has carved off a side…
👀 Read more: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/08/book-review-the-shattering-peace-by-john-scalzi-old-mans-war-book-7/
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#BookReview #scalzi #SciFi -
🆕 blog! “Book Review: The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi (Old Man's War Book 7)”
★★★⯪☆I'm reasonably sure I've read all the "Old Man's War" books. As the last one was published a decade ago, you'll forgive me if I don't remember all the intricacies of galactic politics and interpersonal intrigue. Thankfully, Scalzi has carved off a side…
👀 Read more: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/08/book-review-the-shattering-peace-by-john-scalzi-old-mans-war-book-7/
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#BookReview #scalzi #SciFi -
Book Review: The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi (Old Man's War Book 7)
I'm reasonably sure I've read all the "Old Man's War" books. As the last one was published a decade ago, you'll forgive me if I don't remember all the intricacies of galactic politics and interpersonal intrigue. Thankfully, Scalzi has carved off a side character from a previous book and given them a brand-new adventure. There's enough exposition to tickle the parts of your brain that go "Ah, yes, that sounds familiar" but the story is just about separate enough that a new (or lapsed) reader can dive straight in.
An off-the-books colony has vanished. Only one woman has the martial and intellectual skills to save the day. With her trusty alien companion she's in a race against time to save the galaxy!
The plot is a little thin, and has a slightly annoying habit of jumping forward and then giving retroexposition in "flashback". Some of the prose is gorgeous - "All you need for an avalanche of chaos is one inebriated snowball." - but it is used sparingly. That gives it a rather cold and utilitarian feel - which matches the alien surroundings our protagonist finds herself in.
I also found the humour to be a bit repetitive - the alien doesn't quite get that you shouldn't talk aloud about human's sexual habits - but the story is well-paced and keeps the intrigue high without delving too deeply into convoluted political machinations.
It doesn't really add much to the science fiction pantheon in terms of Big Ideas, but it is rather good fun.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the advance copy, the book is out in September this year and can be pre-ordered now.
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Book Review: The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi (Old Man's War Book 7)
I'm reasonably sure I've read all the "Old Man's War" books. As the last one was published a decade ago, you'll forgive me if I don't remember all the intricacies of galactic politics and interpersonal intrigue. Thankfully, Scalzi has carved off a side character from a previous book and given them a brand-new adventure. There's enough exposition to tickle the parts of your brain that go "Ah, yes, that sounds familiar" but the story is just about separate enough that a new (or lapsed) reader can dive straight in.
An off-the-books colony has vanished. Only one woman has the martial and intellectual skills to save the day. With her trusty alien companion she's in a race against time to save the galaxy!
The plot is a little thin, and has a slightly annoying habit of jumping forward and then giving retroexposition in "flashback". Some of the prose is gorgeous - "All you need for an avalanche of chaos is one inebriated snowball." - but it is used sparingly. That gives it a rather cold and utilitarian feel - which matches the alien surroundings our protagonist finds herself in.
I also found the humour to be a bit repetitive - the alien doesn't quite get that you shouldn't talk aloud about human's sexual habits - but the story is well-paced and keeps the intrigue high without delving too deeply into convoluted political machinations.
It doesn't really add much to the science fiction pantheon in terms of Big Ideas, but it is rather good fun.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the advance copy, the book is out in September this year and can be pre-ordered now.
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John Scalzi's "The Church FAQ" is a masterclass in turning self-promotion into a religious experience. 😇 Want to know if you can breathe the same air as Scalzi? There's a FAQ for that! 📜 All hail the mighty #Scalzi, patron saint of bacon and scheduled appearances. 🥓
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/03/13/the-church-faq/ #John #TheChurchFAQ #SelfPromotion #BaconFan #ScalziFans #HackerNews #ngated -
John Scalzi's "The Church FAQ" is a masterclass in turning self-promotion into a religious experience. 😇 Want to know if you can breathe the same air as Scalzi? There's a FAQ for that! 📜 All hail the mighty #Scalzi, patron saint of bacon and scheduled appearances. 🥓
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/03/13/the-church-faq/ #John #TheChurchFAQ #SelfPromotion #BaconFan #ScalziFans #HackerNews #ngated -
Reading Scalzi's "Starter Villian"
Read it for the cats, love it for the techbro takedowns.
https://www.changinghands.com/book/9781250879394
Last year I read Scalzi's "The Kaiju Preservation Society" which also had something to say about techbros
Scalzi is here on the Fediverse with us, but doesn't often tell us about his burrito crimes
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Reading Scalzi's "Starter Villian"
Read it for the cats, love it for the techbro takedowns.
https://www.changinghands.com/book/9781250879394
Last year I read Scalzi's "The Kaiju Preservation Society" which also had something to say about techbros
Scalzi is here on the Fediverse with us, but doesn't often tell us about his burrito crimes
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Here's my 2024 book year-in-review. All audio books. Mostly sci-fi.
Lots of #BrandoSando.
Lots of #Scalzi
Digging #12MilesUnder
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2024/234800 -
Here's my 2024 book year-in-review. All audio books. Mostly sci-fi.
Lots of #BrandoSando.
Lots of #Scalzi
Digging #12MilesUnder
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2024/234800 -
🆕 blog! “Book Review: When the Moon Hits Your Eye - John Scalzi”
★★★★★Neal Stephenson's "Seveneves" is one of those massive, crushing, momentous, century-spanning and era-defining hard sci-fi novels. It starts with the immortal line "The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason." Classic! It dives into a world plagued with…
👀 Read more: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/12/book-review-when-the-moon-hits-your-eye-john-scalzi/
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#BookReview #NetGalley #scalzi #SciFi -
🆕 blog! “Book Review: When the Moon Hits Your Eye - John Scalzi”
★★★★★Neal Stephenson's "Seveneves" is one of those massive, crushing, momentous, century-spanning and era-defining hard sci-fi novels. It starts with the immortal line "The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason." Classic! It dives into a world plagued with…
👀 Read more: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/12/book-review-when-the-moon-hits-your-eye-john-scalzi/
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#BookReview #NetGalley #scalzi #SciFi -
Book Review: When the Moon Hits Your Eye - John Scalzi
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/12/book-review-when-the-moon-hits-your-eye-john-scalzi/
Neal Stephenson's "Seveneves" is one of those massive, crushing, momentous, century-spanning and era-defining hard sci-fi novels. It starts with the immortal line "The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason." Classic! It dives into a world plagued with Kessler syndrome and the grimly inevitable consequences for the future of humanity.
Scalzi's latest book is cheesy homage - fromage if you will - to that giant of literature. It asks an equally important question.
What if, without warning and for no apparent reason, the moon turned into cheese?
That's it. That's the novel.
It is gloriously silly - but no less reverent to humanity. Rather than focus on one single story, the book floats around a dozen different people. We sample the plebeian to the rock-star, President to hausfrau. Everyone gets to bathe in the moonlight (cheeselight?) of the story. And what a story! As with any good slice of sci-fi, it is light on the technobabble and high on the everyday drama.
Yes, there are obvious parallels to the shared emotional trauma of Covid, but it doesn't dominate as a theme. And, of course, the fractured nature of our shared reality is likely to be the focus of most literature for the foreseeable future. Scalzi instinctively understands what makes sci-fi absurd and how to gently squeeze the humour out of it. Because sci-fi is intrinsically funny. It's about us playing a massive game of "what if" and seeing where it takes us.
The laughter is offset with just the right amount of heartbreak. The moon turning in to cheese isn't all fun and games. No one gets off scot-free, but all the villains get their just desserts. It is impossible to read without a smile on your cheeks and a lump in your throat.
As with his two most recent books - The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain - these are stand-alone novels. There's no massive trilogy to commit to reading and no prior knowledge is assumed.
If you've read Neal Stephenson, Andy Weir, and Mary Robinette Kowal, you'll probably get a little bit more out of it than the casual reader. It is fully of fun little sci-fi references and tropes, all expertly shaken out for a daft laugh.
The book is released in March 2025. Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy - the rest of you will have to pre-order.
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Book Review: When the Moon Hits Your Eye - John Scalzi
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/12/book-review-when-the-moon-hits-your-eye-john-scalzi/
Neal Stephenson's "Seveneves" is one of those massive, crushing, momentous, century-spanning and era-defining hard sci-fi novels. It starts with the immortal line "The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason." Classic! It dives into a world plagued with Kessler syndrome and the grimly inevitable consequences for the future of humanity.
Scalzi's latest book is cheesy homage - fromage if you will - to that giant of literature. It asks an equally important question.
What if, without warning and for no apparent reason, the moon turned into cheese?
That's it. That's the novel.
It is gloriously silly - but no less reverent to humanity. Rather than focus on one single story, the book floats around a dozen different people. We sample the plebeian to the rock-star, President to hausfrau. Everyone gets to bathe in the moonlight (cheeselight?) of the story. And what a story! As with any good slice of sci-fi, it is light on the technobabble and high on the everyday drama.
Yes, there are obvious parallels to the shared emotional trauma of Covid, but it doesn't dominate as a theme. And, of course, the fractured nature of our shared reality is likely to be the focus of most literature for the foreseeable future. Scalzi instinctively understands what makes sci-fi absurd and how to gently squeeze the humour out of it. Because sci-fi is intrinsically funny. It's about us playing a massive game of "what if" and seeing where it takes us.
The laughter is offset with just the right amount of heartbreak. The moon turning in to cheese isn't all fun and games. No one gets off scot-free, but all the villains get their just desserts. It is impossible to read without a smile on your cheeks and a lump in your throat.
As with his two most recent books - The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain - these are stand-alone novels. There's no massive trilogy to commit to reading and no prior knowledge is assumed.
If you've read Neal Stephenson, Andy Weir, and Mary Robinette Kowal, you'll probably get a little bit more out of it than the casual reader. It is fully of fun little sci-fi references and tropes, all expertly shaken out for a daft laugh.
The book is released in March 2025. Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy - the rest of you will have to pre-order.
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Steven Spielberg to Helm ‘Old Man’s War,’ Bringing John Scalzi’s Sci-Fi Epic to Life https://fictionhorizon.com/steven-spielberg-takes-on-old-mans-war-a-tale-of-love-and-identity-amidst-the-stars/
#SciFi #OldMansWar #Scalzi -
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Review of "Die Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung der Kaijū-Monster" (5 stars): Ein kurzweiliger Scalzi
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"…but on the other hand who gave a fuck if it was 'not-Kiva,' because she wasn't some fucking fictional character destined to do whatever some goddamn hack wanted her to do."
what an utterly #scalzi thing to have some fictional character "say"/think!
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#Pentagon Scientists Discuss #Cybernetic '#SuperSoldiers'
Soldier of the future will be "flooded with pain-numbing stimulants," cybernetically enhanced, and, one official sort-of joked, must be eventually "terminated."
Ideas discussed include synthetic blood, pain-numbing stimulants, limb regeneration, and non-invasive brain stimulation. Discussion references #Scalzi's book about future where Earth wages war by offering elderly new youthful bodies in exchange for service
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7eky8/pentagon-scientists-discuss-cybernetic-super-soldiers-that-feel-nothing-while-killing-in-dystopian-presentation -
#Pentagon Scientists Discuss #Cybernetic '#SuperSoldiers'
Soldier of the future will be "flooded with pain-numbing stimulants," cybernetically enhanced, and, one official sort-of joked, must be eventually "terminated."
Ideas discussed include synthetic blood, pain-numbing stimulants, limb regeneration, and non-invasive brain stimulation. Discussion references #Scalzi's book about future where Earth wages war by offering elderly new youthful bodies in exchange for service
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7eky8/pentagon-scientists-discuss-cybernetic-super-soldiers-that-feel-nothing-while-killing-in-dystopian-presentation -
I need Audible to have a subscription package that is just "Everything Scalzi read by Wheaton" because that is my escapist jam.
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If you enjoy great science fiction and want a holiday deal, give this bundle offer a try! I've read most of Scalzi's work, and this is a great deal! #sciencefiction #scalzi #books #sale https://whatever.scalzi.com/2023/11/23/announcing-the-john-scalzi-humble-book-bundle-benefitting-first-book/
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For those who have not come across them before @scalzi ‘s magnificent series of books are now available on Humbler Bundle.
The Old Man’s war epic are books I keep coming back to again and again to scratch my sci-fi itch. Really looking forward to reading some of the newer novels.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/john-scalzis-interdependency-old-mans-war-and-more-tor-books
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jscalzi comments on "The murky math of the New York Times bestsellers list"
https://www.metafilter.com/201408/A-murky-engine-of-influence#8481770
#nyt #BestSeller #BestSellerList #list #marketing #publishing #NewYorkTimes #books #Scalzi
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FYI: System Collapse, the new Murderbot novel from Martha Wells, is scheduled to be released on Nov 14, and is listed at eBooks.com in DRM-free EPUB and PDF editions.
(Their preorder link just sticks it in a list; doesn't let you actually make a purchase yet, but I cancelled my Kindle preorder & added to my calendar to purchase on Tuesday. I also purchased the latest #Scalzi novel from there in order to get the DRM-free EPUB.) #SystemCollapse #MarthaWells #Murderbot
https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/book/210726667/system-collapse/martha-wells/
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this has turned into an intense reading experience - expect there will be a quiz after #scalzi
