Just trying not to be washed overboard

[sovay]

I'm still not entirely sure I'm over Readercon. My head has been full of fragments for days. I am not writing anything substantive; it makes me feel fidgety and pointless. I met rushthatspeaks this afternoon at the Diesel; they showed me the cheeriest and most cracktastic path through Hatoful Boyfriend, which if I tell you is a pigeon dating game will not really explain anything. It was amazing. I'm still not sleeping. I don't expect any longer to become so tired, I simply fall over into a restorative sleep for hours, but it would be nice.

1. Courtesy of derspatchel: Don't Walk on Fish. "Hey, scatterbrain, don't cripple your friends!" is an endlessly applicable suggestion.

2. The Library of America is reprinting nine classic science fiction novels of the 1950's. I grew up with seven of these in the house, I think—mostly in the original editions. One of them I didn't read and Rush informs me I really need to. There are some terrific essays in here. Will someone just dramatize Leiber's The Big Time (1957) already?

3. Tom Lehrer on The Frost Report (1966) explains the decimal system.

4. The Guardian profiles M. John Harrison. I haven't seen a copy of Empty Space (2012), but it should be on shelves by now. I still need to read Nova Swing (2006).

5. I will dig through the boxes of my books in the garage and re-read Margaret Mahy's The Tricksters (1986). I wish I had known Sally Ride had a partner of twenty-seven years before she was a widow.

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I wish I had known Sally Ride had a partner of twenty-seven years before she was a widow.

A partner who, I gather, is to be denied benefits, thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act. :(

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

One can still dispose of one's estate as one likes, thankfully, and Ms. Ride had been in private business for years; I ardently hope her partner will be well set despite the lack of federal pension. This kind of thing is always so frustrating and sad.

[ckd]

One can still dispose of one's estate as one likes, thankfully

True, though estate tax issues caused by DOMA may apply.

(It's amazing; the same Republicans who keep calling the estate tax the "death tax" are conspicuously silent about this case for some reason.)

[sovay]

This kind of thing is always so frustrating and sad.

I started to write that I liked to think this was a case where the scientific community would step in where the government failed, but we don't even have a shuttle program anymore; I don't know what I was imagining. I just had some vague idea of people not being shmucks to one another. It's not that hard! Or maybe it is, but we should still be better at it.

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

Look on your own personal bright side; when I shuffle off this mortal coil, you'll be free to make a packet on my literary brilliance.

[sovay]

when I shuffle off this mortal coil, you'll be free to make a packet on my literary brilliance.

Assuming you shuffle off before I do (flip you for it), I'm probably stuck being your literary executor anyway . . .

Hold it; isn't your wife a lawyer? She's got the training, it's her headache. I can stop suffering and write that symphony.

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

I thought we had talked about this. You honestly are my literary executrix. It's in the wills. There wasn't a place to put "Make sure my child gets a year of Latin and some decent weirdness," even in the codicils part, but it's all been sorted. As the discussion around Ms. Ride proves, when you are queer, you must have your papers in extremely good order.

[sovay]

You honestly are my literary executrix. It's in the wills.

I don't think I knew it was legal. It had better not be relevant any time soon, but I'll do my best.

[sovay]

A partner who, I gather, is to be denied benefits, thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act.

This country is not okay.