I'm Confused and Excited About This!

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, a book that I co-authored with Dr. Anna C. Long -- THE MAD SCIENTIST HALL OF FAME -- was recently translated into French and released with a brand-new (very cool) cover by the Calmann-Levy publishing house.

Now, it seems that the book has been put on a short list of potential nominees for a French prize for fantasy/sci-fi, called the "Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire." Doesn't that sound impressive? Everything sounds better in French.

Unfortunately, I can't speak or read the language very well (and Google Translate is worse at it than I am). But from what I can gather, there will be another round of cuts and then a final prize announced in March.

Compliments of Google Translate...

GPI, or Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, is the oldest French prices still in business - since 1974 - and the most prestigious devoted to "Literature of the Imagination." The term "imaginary" covers all of these "wrong kinds" that are science fiction, fantasy, as well as various fusions of these genres and still "transfictions" where, for example, some elements insidiously slip in a literature known as "general."

We're honored just to be pre-nominated. :)

Savants Fous!

The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame (which I co-authored with psychologist Anna C. Long) has been translated into French. This is very fitting, considering that several of the best mad scientists ever hail from France -- including Marie Curie and August Piccard. (And Dr. Moreau definitely sounds French!)

Check out the awesomely redesigned cover in this image:

sacre bleu! mad scientist in french

I just got word that French rights for "The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame" have sold. Soon, French audiences will be able to read about some french-speaking mad scientists, including Marie Curie (Polish but became a French citizen), Auguste Piccard (Swiss, but probably floated over France in a dangerous balloon of his own design), and the bumbling Professor Cuthbert Calculus from the TinTin comics (written and drawn by Serge, an honest-to-god Frenchman). I'll post the cover once I receive it.

I wonder what the French translation of the subtitle ("Muwahahaha!") will be? Hmm...

SPEAKING AT BARNES & NOBLE IN VANCOUVER, WA

Anna and I are giving a book talk about The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame at Barnes and Noble in Vancouver. The talk is in the afternoon, but we'll be hanging out a few hours to sign books and gab with people. Drop on by if you've got the afternoon off! (Or bring the kids by after school!)

What?: Mad Scientist Hall of Fame book talk

When?: Friday, Jan. 9th from 3 to 6 pm

Where?: Barnes and Noble Vancouver, located at 7700 NE Fourth Plain Blvd. (phone 260-3854).

IT'S... IT'S... LIVEWIRE!

Tonight, I'll be appearing briefly on LiveWire, a local radio show here in Portland that is held at the Aladdin Theater. It's always a good time -- with a live audience of hundreds there to see sketch comedy, interviews, and musicians. I'll be telling people about Mad Scientist Hall of Fame: Muwahahahaha!, which needs to be bought for mad scientists young and old in time for Christmas.

As an added bonus, I wrote one of the comedy sketches that is airing.* It involves Mexican Santa Claus and mad scientists, so hope you enjoy it. :)

* I also guest wrote a couple sketches a few months ago and it was great fun. If you remember the one about a wild panda being tattooed from space with messages of love -- that was me.

powell's book talk -- this thursday

My co-author -- Dr. Anna C. Long -- and I will be delivering a rousing book talk at Powell's City of Books this Thursday to introduce the world to the greatest mad scientists of all time. It's just a quick 30 minute talk (max!) and we'll be signing books after. So come on out and bring your favorite mad scientist...

Thursday, August 28th @ 7:30PM Powell's City of Books on Burnside
1005 W Burnside (800) 878-7323

Geek meets chic in The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame (Citadel), Daniel H. Wilson's (How to Survive a Robot Uprising) and Anna C. Long's stylish, informative guide to the most outrageous, brilliant, and fascinating mad scientists — both real and fictional — and their diabolical inventions.

Read about the Top Five Mad Scientists

Popular Mechanics has excerpted some of my new book and it's available online. So read about the top 5 mad scientists! They aren't really the all time top five, just some of my favorites!

<--- Captain Nemo! Estranged from humanity and totally depressed!

Mad Scientists -- Reviewed!

The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame was reviewed over at my favorite tech blog -- io9.com! It's a fun book and I'm glad that Annalee (the reviewer) enjoyed getting the dirt on all the best mad scientists -- especially that rocket scientist / occultist / orgy-maestro Jack Parsons. Here's a snippet of the review:

Funny and filled with good, crunchy facts, The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame is like "Behind the Music" for scientists. We learn a little about the scientists' brilliance, and then discover how it all went terribly, terribly wrong. Plus, about half the scientists that Wilson and Long discuss are fictional, which gives the profiles of real-life scientists a delightful, sensationalistic flair.

-----> Read the review here.

My New Book is Out!

The Mad Scientist Hall of Fame just hit bookstores. It's a psychological breakdown of the greatest mad scientists of all time -- real and fictional. Didja know that Dr. Jekyll was suffering from dissociative identity disorder? Or that Nikola Tesla believed he was speaking to aliens from Venus (just like Lex Luthor)? Captain Nemo was severely depressed and Dr. Evil is a clear-cut case of anti-social personality disorder. Fun!

You should buy it for your favorite mad scientist!

Click here to visit the amazon page.