For those of you wearying of the Great Pullman Debate, I offer a pair of podcasts to soothe the spirit.
Back in October, when I was on tour for the release of Extras, Justine and I had a chance to sit down outside of Chicago with an old pal named John Scalzi. Scalzi was writing his first YA, so his publishers thought it would be cool to record our conversation and podcast it. Well, it’s finally ready for listening.
We discuss our books, hoverboard derring-do, and of course zombie suppression.
Here’s part one and here is part two.
Enjoy!
(No Pullman arguments in this comment thread! Here is where they go!)
December 11th, 2007 06:24
I listened to them from the links on Justine’s blog. I loved listening to you guys!!
December 11th, 2007 06:43
awwww…i was too busy nail-biting over at The Gray Book to get first comment.
yeah, i saw that on Justine’s page but didn’t listen to it.
December 11th, 2007 06:50
I wanted to hear these so bad and now, hear they are!!!thanks!
December 11th, 2007 07:11
That was hilarious!
December 11th, 2007 08:09
Oh, there’s that hoverboars derring-do we’ve been waiting for!
Now I’m going to go listen to the podcasts!
December 11th, 2007 08:15
kill the zombies by shooting them in the head! they cat eat you if you make them dead! (idk why i wrote that, its from a song called shoot the zombies at it is found at http://songstowearpantsto.com.)
December 11th, 2007 08:39
I can’t wait to listen to it…:)
December 11th, 2007 08:59
When does Justine’s book come out?
December 11th, 2007 08:59
Justine’s new book sounds hilarious. I can’t wait till it comes out!
December 11th, 2007 09:20
WEEEE i have a top 10 comment.
December 11th, 2007 09:26
I cant really listen to all of it. I am not able to sit that long with nothing to do but listen. just a known fact of most people. I get to do homework! And since i know your all so excited i want you to do it for me. You only have to do my science card for Midterm and my Language diagnostic test. 25 questions each and i have 4 more to go. Make that 5.
December 11th, 2007 09:29
Did you know Scott-la has a Wiki on him? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Westerfeld
I was looking for something and that came up on Google. It kind of creepy.I wonder if i have a wiki…….
December 11th, 2007 09:30
wow, i just noticed. HOVERBOARD DERRING-DO! hallelugah! it has returned!
i finally got a new cell phone!
December 11th, 2007 09:31
whoa. amd here i thought you meant there was a Westerfeld Wiki. false alarm, just means Scott-la has a wikipedia page.
i already knew that—i was editing the Last Days page against Zahler-bashing a couple weeks ago.
December 11th, 2007 09:53
Not only does he have a page, he has a whole category! Thanks to me. hehe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Novels_by Scott_Westerfeld
I’m surprised it hasn’t been deleted yet…I seem to be cursed with page deletion.
December 11th, 2007 09:54
oops. I forgot the underscore. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Novels_by_Scott_Westerfeld
there we go.
December 11th, 2007 10:11
OMG I CANT KEEP UP! I’m soo busy lately with swimming/school/doctor stuff and trying to sleep!! >_< golly, Mr. Scott, I am your biggest fan. and i would check your web page every day but… yeah.
December 11th, 2007 10:27
yeah i listen to this on justiens blog hillariouse
December 11th, 2007 10:47
Can’t wait to listen to it. It sounds fawsome!
December 11th, 2007 10:50
I am so excited for Justine’s book. You have no idea. O_O
December 11th, 2007 10:52
I’m excited about her book too!
Except I have to read THE BAR CODE TATOO first, and then THE BAR CODE REBELLION.
But then I can finally read Justine’s book.
December 11th, 2007 11:15
justiens fairy book is out? i mus buy it!
December 11th, 2007 11:31
I never go to Justine’s site. I don’t even know the address to go there.
December 11th, 2007 11:38
it’s something obvious like
justinelarbalastier.com (probably wrong b/c of inability to spell name)
scott-la’s main page has a link to it though. on the links page.
and the fairy book isn’t out, is it? i don’t think it’s coming til next fall.
December 11th, 2007 11:51
There are actually lots of authors that have websites…like
scottwesterfeld.com
justinelarbalastier.com
anothonyhorowitz.com
allycarter.com
umm…
ok, so 4 that I can think of right now.
December 11th, 2007 11:53
yeah, i’ve got a whole row of author blogs bookmarked—Holly Black and Cassandra Clare and Libba Bray and Maureen Johnson and all those people.
the links ar on my other computer though.
December 11th, 2007 11:55
hey scott…..any movie news for your fans?
December 11th, 2007 12:13
Have you ever told someone you like them and then it blows up in your face? Yep it just happened to me.
December 11th, 2007 12:15
no. i never get to the “telling someone i like them” phase, let alone the blowing up in your face.
mostly it’s being sort of friends or in class with person, crushing on them, getting really good friends with them, getting disillusioned, ignoring them/they move away.
what happened? it’s okay if you don’t want to say though.
i should be doing english homework anyway.
December 11th, 2007 12:17
I’ve never told anyone I like them.
I’ve never gone out either.
Probably b/c I always reject guys asking me out.
December 11th, 2007 12:20
see, i’m a loser who’s never official gone out with anyone, or even had anyone seriously ask me out.
i’m antisocial like that.
i reeeeeeaaaaally should be doing my english homework now.
December 11th, 2007 12:32
Listening as I speak! =)
also, the “hoverboard derring-do” greatly pleases me. i did some half-hearted googling on the subject and came up with this:
“Derring-do” turns out to have an interesting history. It was a challenge to find, but the OED lists it as a “pseudo archaism” which originated with Chaucer, was misunderstood by Lydgate, picked up but misprinted by Spenser, and then taken up by Sir Walter Scott, and it’s been “derring-do” ever since. The series of errors and misunderstandings have created a word meaning “reckless courage.” If you have an OED, it’s interesting reading.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/1510.html
interesting. =)
December 11th, 2007 12:39
Ok, not to sound snobby or anything, butgetting asked out isn’t very special. Especially when the only guys that have ever asked you out are almost a whole foot shorter than you.
That’s very un-special.
December 11th, 2007 12:41
o i like my guy friend and were disguseing how long ive liked him, embarrassing.
December 11th, 2007 12:41
but i dont no if he likes me, he hasn’t said.
December 11th, 2007 12:43
it’s not special, which is the point. as in, i’m a loser.
ha ha. short guys.
ooh…liking friends stinks. i know.
December 11th, 2007 12:44
hey, go over to the HQ, some of you! i need input!
December 11th, 2007 12:45
Eh. I have never been asked out, but I don’t particularly like the boys at my school. They are not of a very intelligent variety. But anyways.
Someone said something about movie news and it reminded me of how An Abundance of Katherines is going to me a movie (someday) and now I am once again filled with joy.
December 11th, 2007 12:47
“And, as we know, teenagers NEVER curse or have sex.”
That was hilarious and informative.
I should pick up a few of Justine’s books. They sound interesting.
December 11th, 2007 12:49
i think girls (and i’m a girl myself but whatever) make the whole crushing and asking out thing incredibly complicated. just tell him how you feel… worst thing that could happen is that he tells you he doesn’t feel the same.
December 11th, 2007 12:50
yeah, most of the guys at my school are idiots anyway, so i only occasionally care.
i should read An Abundance of Katherines. i’ve been thinking about it.
December 11th, 2007 12:51
Mikaka-wa, what’s that quote from? And was it sarcastic or serious?
December 11th, 2007 12:51
oops. sorry I misspelled your name. I meant Mikala-wa. sorry.
December 11th, 2007 12:53
i should read An Abundance of Katherines. i’ve been thinking about it.
It is one of the best books ever. John Green is an amazing author! Read it! As soon as you possibly can!
Hoo haa, NERDFIGHTERS!
Sorry. I had to say it. >.>
December 11th, 2007 12:56
yeah, it honestly is that simple, but life makes crap all complicated. so i just sort of don’t. i’m tremendously antisocial like that.
okay, i’m really almost doing my enlgish homework now.
December 11th, 2007 13:00
so much refressing lacked.
yeah, i’ll probably go put it on hold.
i think she was quoting the podcast.
December 11th, 2007 13:02
oooooohh! ok. I must listen to it. I just kinda “forgot”.
December 11th, 2007 13:06
this is really random but you know what the high temperaturein my city is going to be tomorrow?
82 degrees!!!! That is crazy.
December 11th, 2007 13:20
that is crazy. it’s over double the high temperature for my city.
December 11th, 2007 13:24
i need names! go to the HQ and help me!
December 11th, 2007 13:44
Omg, 82, ive had 102.
December 11th, 2007 13:46
In December?
December 11th, 2007 13:46
I’ve had snow… but then it rained and it was all icky and gross for a long time. Stupid Seattle. >.< It’s really cold here, but sunny. So we still have to go outside and play kickball for PE even though our hands and feet are frozen and numb.
Okay. Enough of that…
December 11th, 2007 13:48
wow…it snows here at least once every year.
we had to play kickball in gym today too, but at least we were inside.
December 11th, 2007 13:49
In the summer it usually gets up to 100. Which suscks when you have to ride on a bus w/o air conditioning for a full 45 minutes. It is hell. almost.
December 11th, 2007 13:51
We just finished this week-long kickball “tournament” and my team won. Which was pretty amazing. But my school doesn’t have a gym, so we are outside or we sit inside and play these strange games that our teacher makes up on the spot which usually involve blindfolds and rubber balls. Don’t ask.
Last year we had about five days of snow and basically everything shut down. Washington is just not prepared for snow. People were literally abandoning their cars in the middle of the road last year in not even a foot of snow. It was sad. XP
December 11th, 2007 14:02
i despise playing all baseball-derived sports.
in summer, it gets around 80s, 90s, up to 100 on a hot day. and my entire HOUSE has no air conditioning.
people freak out about snow here too. for no reason.
December 11th, 2007 14:04
I also have no A/C. So we open all the windows. My room has HUGE windows and it gets REALLY windy in there and things blow around. Haha.
I just sort of hate sports in general. All the time we are forced to play tennis baseball in PE and it is really a horrible sport. Truly. Bleh.
December 11th, 2007 14:20
Why don’t you have an A/C?! I’d DIE if I didn’t have one.
Texas gets hottttttttttt.
And it only snows like once every other year here :[
December 11th, 2007 14:21
well, yeah, i hate sports in general too.
our windows have no screens, so no windows, plus no wind to start out with.
ahhh! d*mmn you, livejournal! the icon is only like 20 pixels too large! and it’s an animated GIF so i don’t know how to resize it! but it has ALEX TURNER! isn’t that enough? why can’t you just let me use it and have my peace?! i would be so very happy…
December 11th, 2007 14:34
finally done with stupid project!!!freedom!!!
it’s like fifty stupid pages about the iss.can u believe it 130 billion dollars for some stupid station that hasnt done anything in the past 9 years!!urg!!ok, im going to read all of these posts…….
December 11th, 2007 14:37
wow….a lot of different subjects.
December 11th, 2007 14:39
fawesome 8)
December 11th, 2007 14:42
Thats cool i just listened to it. I cant wait for Justines new book.
*SPOILER ALERT*
Ok I just finished the Last Days, nine kinds of fawesome! I loved the girl at the end wanting her strat back. Is there a conection. between when Min sings the worms coming and when Cal and Lace kiss them being able to feel the worms moving under them?
*END SPOILER*
December 11th, 2007 14:42
ummm…we don’t have an A/C. umm, no idea. same reason my mom’s car doesn’t have A/C either, or the heat still doesn’t work, or ect. i have no idea.
seriously, does anybody know if it’s possible to resize a GIF without saving it as a single frame and abandoning fawesome animation?
plz help me.
December 11th, 2007 14:44
TLD SPOLIERS, MILDLY
not really, in Peeps i think they kissed BECAUSE the worm was beneath, like it made peeps extra horny by it’s mere presence, whereas Min had her whole singer thing going where she called it.
there’s a TLD spoiler thread, btw.
December 11th, 2007 14:47
A/C is for square roots.
Or, you know, people who live in very hot places…
December 11th, 2007 15:55
im reading the last days but i don’t really get it.i keep saying that i’ll get it soon but it just gets more complicated.when it says Moz or someones name, is it their point of view??
KINDA SORTA A SPOILER***************************
is pearl the girl that caught the guitar with moz??
and moz is a cool name.random.
December 11th, 2007 17:08
yesterday I went to Borders and there was a whole row of Uglies Box Sets and then The Last Days, and So Yesterday. I got The Last Days even though I haven’t read Peeps yet. & then i got like this book that looks really good called Into The Wild, and I got the Private Series box set, which my friend says is really good. I got a few other adventure/survival books too.
I would die without my A/C, infact my family owns a plumbing, heating, air conditioning business. and we get a lot of snow in the winter. tomorrow we have a snowday due to the sleet like snow and stuff.
December 12th, 2007 05:03
haha, it’s funny to read all these things about TLD, since I just finished reading it or the second time like 2 minutes ago >.<
SORTA TLD SPOILER****
But, yeah, Pearl was the one who caught the Strat with mozy. And by the way, I think that The Last Days is a hard core amazing band name. But personally, I’m alot more of a Zahler fan than Moz. Zahler needs some love too. But what’s up with Alana Ray? Is she liked pchysic or what?!
December 12th, 2007 09:01
hmm…my comment was deleted. or it just disappeared.
but, was it deleted??????????????????
December 12th, 2007 09:40
FINALLY! After long boring classes of reading The Christmas Carol, were done. You cant even understand it so why do they still make it!
December 12th, 2007 10:21
wtf? i posted the anserws and couple other random stuff while in school and it’s not here. what the hell?
December 12th, 2007 10:23
omg my comments are selectively dissappearing and reapperring.
why??????
We finished a Christmas Carol, too today. Soooo boring
December 12th, 2007 10:50
I know. i usually tried to do other stuff but i am heavily intimidated by teacher, there forth, i am to scared to do anything. Especially with my Lang. and Lit. reacher.
December 12th, 2007 10:55
Wow has it been forever since I’ve been on here. How is everyone?
December 12th, 2007 11:32
wow every sence extras theres been so many posts like 60 in one day
i jesouse of all you people in the north i was in washington now im in stupid hot frorida with the evil one its not fair
i want to be cold not hot
and im a loser too never gotten asked out no boys have known me well enough sence 4th grade(lots of school changes after that 5 to be exact im in 7th now) and you dont get asked out in 4th grade
December 12th, 2007 11:35
Its ok, anyone who reads, and can study usually don’t get dates. They all like the stupid pretty ones.
December 12th, 2007 11:47
this is true (you have to have friends too that is also something i lack at this school)
December 12th, 2007 12:14
yeah. but i’m not like a nerd. my problem is that the guys like girls who aren’t like them. whereas i have so much in common with them. play guitar, not an idiot about music, listen to same music, love zombies, sleep in class, tap pencil constantly, wear black sweatshirts and stuff all the time.
and i have friends, they just hate me or are annoying.
and why did a bunch of my comments not appear? are they requesting moderation or something?
are they lost to the void?
December 12th, 2007 12:27
yeah im more of a nerd but i do wear a black jacket even though its like 80 outside
i saw this thing on the sci. channel and they where talking about how like in millions of years we would have to flee earth because the sun would eat us and they said we would have to adapt and possibly *slight spoilier alert(extras)* have an extra set of arms instead of legs like the the extras in extras
i suspect scott copyed them not the other way around because it was from 2001(pathectic date i hate old sci. news)
December 12th, 2007 12:32
oh yeah!
i wore the same black suede jacket all through seventh grade. and black sweatshirts in eighth. and right now, actually.
though, in my defense, it’s cold.
which does not explain why under that i have on a short sleeved shirt.
i do not, however, ever wear shorts. i wear long black pants all summer. even when it’s 80 degrees out.
December 12th, 2007 12:43
i dont own black pants but i own a pair of grey jeans and more jeans
i just started doing the whole black jacket thng to show my anoyyance at the world and the despised prep evil one
December 12th, 2007 12:51
well, the world does suck.
sadly, i do not own any black pants at the moment. my mom got mad that they were shredded and threw them out, much in the way she disposed of my converse that were held together solely by duct tape.
right now i’ve got jeans (boring dark blue washed-out ones) and a couple pairs of cargo pants.
i see a good story behind “despised prep evil one”. plz do share. (if you want to, that is)
i’m writing on Graduation! i mean, studying math.
December 12th, 2007 12:56
Oooo, I don’t know if this is totally off topic or not, I just saw something about a jacket and it made me think of this.
When I was in like 6th grade, or just a long time ago, I used to wear this totally terribly ugly puffy white coat. It was sooo long, it always dragged the ground and collected sticks and thorns and stuff on the bottom. And it was like five sized too fat for me, and the puff part of it was basically like a bazillion pieces of string. And I once convinced my friend that it was made out of pollar bear{which I only now realize is sad and cruel} and it was hilarious.
Some people sill make fun of me for that stupid coat :]
December 12th, 2007 13:09
that is a scaaaaarry image. and i don’t even know what you look like.
my coat is generic and black.
December 12th, 2007 13:15
where did my post go? here it is again.
My name is Calypso Jenell Greene and I am a mindseer. I am the first of a new generation of Midnighters. My name means concealer of knowledge. My dad is Rex Greene who is famous in the Lore for being turned into a Halfling which is half darkling, half Midnighter. He also came up with the plan that saved Bixby from plunging into Midnight forever. I inherited me Seeing from him. He can See the Focus on Midnighters and traces where darklings and their prey, humans, have been. I can see all that as well as darkling werewolves. When my dad was teaching me to read the Lore he said that is did not mention any other Midnighters like me or my friends. My mom, Melissa Greene, said the same thing after she sifted through all the thoughts of generations of mindcasters. She says that I can control my thoughts better than any experienced mindcaster. This is true because I was born in Midnight when mindcasting thoughts are the clearest. When I was was born my father and his friends, Dess, Jonthan, and Jessica, were fighting darklings that were trying to kill me because I would change the way that they lived forever.
My closest friend in both the normal daylight time and Midnight is Elysia Ilona Martinez who is a flying-flame bringer. She can shoot bolts of lightening from her hands, a talent she got from their mom and she can fly as well. She is the daughter of Jonathan and Jessica Martinez. Another one of my best friend 25/7 is Theron Latimer Buffalo. He is poly-language. He was born knowing every language in the world including animals and darkling. He can also convert any measurement into another instantly.
The three of us make up a new generation of Midnighters. The times that we live in have become dangerous. There are new types of monsters that we must fight. We are the new hope of the world, we are half-bloods.
hope it works this time. make sugestions to make it better
December 12th, 2007 13:16
i see it now. wierd how posts are getting eaten.
i saw that already on my blog—i commented about it.
December 12th, 2007 13:21
OO, for the poly-language. My only suggestion would be to make that like… He is a polylinguistic instead. Just sounds better in my head.
And, yeah, it was a very scary image. It was even scarier when I pulled it up over my head and chased people (shows you how cool I am >.<). I liked like an albino Cousin It.
December 12th, 2007 13:25
Albino Cousin It. lol.
i second polylinguistic.
December 12th, 2007 13:26
oooh…comment 90
December 12th, 2007 13:32
didn’t think of that, htank you!!!!!
December 12th, 2007 13:32
sorry ment thankyou
December 12th, 2007 13:34
Yess… I was an odd child. I’m still odd, actually. Except I don’t chase people in fake polar bear coats anymore… :/
December 12th, 2007 13:35
That was a lie. I should have said: I don’t chase people in fake polar bear coats VERY OFTEN anymore.
December 12th, 2007 13:37
i’ve always been and always will be odd.
tank you too.
December 12th, 2007 13:44
So, let me ask a question.
I get how the kid is a mindseer. Rex and Melissa.
And I get the flying flame bringer. Jonathan and Jessica.
But who did Dess screw to get a poly-language?!
December 12th, 2007 13:44
ummm…a language dude?
December 12th, 2007 13:46
Well, I’d assume so, but who is this language dude, and who says he’s fool enough to handle the fawesomeness of Des?!
December 12th, 2007 13:48
well, i see our defense of dess, but i’m sure he’s awesome.
language dude must be some random dude.
Tech is way better for her though.
December 12th, 2007 13:49
woo! comment 100!
December 12th, 2007 13:50
Your on a roll with this comment stuff, huh? Well I got 99 >P
Anyways, yeah Tech would be way better for Dess, but as long as Language Dude is awesome, then I guess it’s okay.
December 12th, 2007 13:54
yeah. you barely know Tech though, don’t you? i guess you read the beginning of Graduation, pretty much all he does is get mentioned by name. but now, now he is basking in Dess’ awesomeness.
December 12th, 2007 13:58
Yess, because Dess has oh so much awesomeness that is just waiting to be basked in
December 12th, 2007 14:06
oo, NUMMY TIME!!
I think that’s how it’s spelling in PEEPS :/
Whatever, I’ve got Sonic to eat [the Fast Food place, NOT the Hedge Hog]
And I have to go find someone to lend me a copy of The Last Days to reread :]
December 12th, 2007 14:07
Im not a nerd. I hate nerds. I study, sometimes. i read ALOT! My grandpa is making me a bookshelf for Christmas! There is acculy this guy and he is my friend and i like him ok so he told me he thoguht i was, i guess you could say, cooler because i was smarter. It made me feel happy. I have had 2 boyfriends and they used me to make the smae girl jelease.
December 12th, 2007 14:08
ok when i say have i meant had, and it was in 5th grade! It was better days back then.
December 12th, 2007 14:10
the guy that has a language talent is from when they were searching the globe for new midnighters. he helped them in other countries.
December 12th, 2007 14:10
he is very awsome.
December 12th, 2007 14:12
whyh is know one here when i am defending dess?!?!?!?!?!
December 12th, 2007 14:26
Oh! Done eating Hedge Hogs!
Bran-la, WOULD DO YOU HATE NERDS?! I take offense.
And what is the Language Dudes name?!
December 12th, 2007 14:26
even melissa and rex thought that he was cool!
December 12th, 2007 14:26
I have no clue what your talking about.
December 12th, 2007 14:28
Wow, three comments were entered at 14:26. cool! O and they just scare me, you ask them somethin and there like LITTLE ROCK! I just said that randomly.
December 12th, 2007 14:28
on my fanfic there was a guy that had a talent for languages and he and dess had a kid.
Ummmmmm……i don’t know what is name is…..Alpha?
December 12th, 2007 14:31
Alexander-protector of manknid
Sterne-serious minded
Nestor-traveler, wisdom
that’s all that i got for right now come back with some more later, unless ya’ll can come up with some??????
December 12th, 2007 14:33
haha. Well if your gonna go for Alpha, then I think Beta deserves a chance to be the name too!
Little Rock? What about… ALBAQUERQUE! HOWLER MONKEYS! HOBOKEN! PAKA PAKA! SOUTH OF THE MEDITTERANEAN SEA!
…Am I scary?! ..0_o..
December 12th, 2007 14:34
you think that the language guy should be Alpha Beta Bufflao……..could work….
December 12th, 2007 14:38
ALPHA BETA BUFFALO! Dude, that’s like defiantely the SWEETEST name I’ve even heard(possibly with the exception of Zahler)! Oh my gosh, you would totally be my hero if you named him that!
FEXCELLENT!
December 12th, 2007 14:48
okay, i will is that makes evertone feel better about him and dess.
December 12th, 2007 14:49
Well, I don’t know about everyone, but id DEFAINTELY make me feel better :]
December 12th, 2007 23:17
that is a great name. alpha beta buffalo.
wow, Sonic. see, they have none of those anywhere near us, but they have non-stop commericals for them anytime you turn on the TV.
December 12th, 2007 23:21
hey look. that cast edward for the twilight movie. his eyes point in different directions
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/
December 12th, 2007 23:22
and he’s Cedric Diggory. very odd.
hey, i got commment 123!
December 13th, 2007 09:04
AAH! I guess he’s an OKAY Edward. Not perfect, but he will do very nicely!
HURAY!