Author Archives: Lawrence Person

About Lawrence Person

Lawrence Person is a science fiction writer living in Austin, Texas. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Analog, Postscripts, Jim Baen's Universe, Fear, and several anthologies. He also edits the Hugo-nominated SF critical magazine Nova Express, and runs the Turkey City Writer's Workshop. His non-fiction has appeared in National Review, Reason, Whole Earth Review, The Freeman, The World & I, Science Fiction Eye, The New York Review of Science Fiction, and Slashdot.org. He owns such a large library (mostly science fiction first editions) he had to buy a two-story house to put it in, and then adopted a golden retriever to drag him out of his house on a regular basis. He also makes a mean batch of salsa.

Pointless and Awesome

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Lawrence Person

There are many things that are pointless, and some that are awesome. Here’s something that’s both: Pointless: Because there’s absolutely no practical point in having your food delivered by quadrocopter if your waitress has to stand there and guide the … Continue reading →

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Iain Banks, 1954-2013: RIP

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Lawrence Person

The BBC is reporting that Iain Banks died at 59, just two months after announcing he had terminal cancer, and weeks after an update in which he was sounding a tiny bit more optimistic. A great writer, of both SF … Continue reading →

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Shoegazer Sunday: Experimental Aircraft’s “Meet Me on Echo Echo Terrace”

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Lawrence Person

Austin’s own Experimental Aircraft are another band in the shoegaze/psychedelia/post-rock netherworld. “Meet Me on Echo Echo Terrace” is from their album Third Transmission off Graveface records, run by Ryan Graveface of Dreamend and Black Moth Super Rainbow. One caveat: They … Continue reading →

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When Novelty Records Go Bad

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Lawrence Person

Can you imagine anything less hip than Milton Berle doing a Borscht Belt Schtick parody of The Beatles “Yellow Submarine”? Well, wonder no more! All it needs is Joy Anne Worley doing an interpretive dance behind him on the Laugh-In … Continue reading →

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Criterion Top 10 Lists

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Lawrence Person

I wasn’t really considering a Top 10 Week when I posted yesterday’s Talking Heads list (and I may not do it every day), but I stumbled across this this collection of Criterion Top 10 lists from various luminaries. Among the … Continue reading →

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My Top 10 Favorite Talking Heads Songs

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Lawrence Person

Apropos nothing but a stray comment, here’s my ten favorite Talking Heads songs: Road to Nowhere: Great road music, compulsively listenable, with dark, disturbing lyrical overtones. “There’s a city in my mind/Come along and take that ride/And it’s all right/Baby … Continue reading →

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Shoegazer Sunday: Engineers’ “Clean Coloured Wire”

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Lawrence Person

UK’s Engineer’s deftly tread the boarders of Shoegaze, Dream Pop, and Psychedelia on “Clean Colored Wire.” Ulrich Schnauss (who seems to be to shoegaze keyboard what Tony Levin is to progressive rock bass) is also part of the current incarnation … Continue reading →

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Spectacular Sunset

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Lawrence Person

Austin had a spectacular sunset tonight, and I happened to catch a picture of it behind the capitol. Uncropped: Cropped: if I hadn’t been driving, and had something other than an old iPhone, I could have gotten even more spectacular … Continue reading →

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Jack Vance, RIP: 1916 – 2013

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Lawrence Person

Jack Vance died Sunday, May 26, at the age of 96. Another towering giant of SF gone, and he was one of the best. A few random images of some of the Jack Vance first editions in my library, just … Continue reading →

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Shoegazer Sunday: A Swarm of the Sun’s “Refuge” and “I Fear”

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Lawrence Person

If they were from Australia rather than Sweden, I would think that A Swarm of the Sun was A Beautiful Machine reborn, so close is the very heavy shoegaze sound.

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