Face Expert

Posted on by scott

Sorry I’ve been offline so long, but I’ve been in Byron Bay relaxing with Justine‘s family. We did lots of body surfing, ate lots of good food, and I slipped out of the fun occassionally to work on Specials rewrites. (Thanks to my sister-in-law Niki for the invite!)

The coolest thing we did at Byron was swimming in a tea-tree lake. That’s a salt-water inlet surrounded by melaleucas trees, the soothing oils of which saturate the water. The lake is the color of tea, and it’s very peaceful and supposedly really good for you.

While I was marinating, that article I was interviewed for in the New York Times came out. Featuring this scary-ass picture:


Stephan Elleringmann/laif

Ahhhh! Although I guess any story that starts with a dog eating a woman’s face couldn’t have a nice picture. Still.

They quoted me twice! Apparently, writing Uglies and Pretties makes me an expert on face transplants.

You can read it here, or if you don’t feel like registering, here’s my quotes:

A new face might one day be a covetable luxury item, suggested Scott Westerfeld, a science fiction writer, whose novels “Uglies” and “Pretties” project a future in which a compulsory operation at 16 makes everyone conform to an ideal standard of beauty. In that future world, “it’s not just how much cosmetic surgery you get, it’s how often,” Mr. Westerfeld said, adding, “There will come a day when having extreme cosmetic surgery will be like buying a $1,000 Gucci bag, an indication that you are a member of the privileged class.”

. . . and then somebody else talks, and then . . .

Mr. Westerfeld noted that such themes, once the province of science fiction, now parallel mainstream attitudes about the self and identity. There is increasing acceptance that “as human beings we get to choose who we are,” he said. “And the line between what you get to choose and don’t choose is moving all the time.”

I can’t remember what I was trying to say there exactly. But at least I didn’t sound like too much of a wanker.

In other news, Uglies is an Amazon Top Ten Teen book!

That is all. We’re tired. But stay tuned for my Sydney Opera House photo essay!

41 thoughts on “Face Expert”

  3. I think that it’s great that they decided to use quotes from you! It shows just how much they value your opinion. In my opinion, I find that very cool. I am glad you had a good time and hope you, Justine and family are doing well!

  5. sorry scott this dossnt concern you….. but niki is cool!! that sounds pathetic but i want do do all the stuff she does, especially WETA. thats were i want to work after i finish college (and high school). yup. bye

  7. Hi Amy

    We need lots more women in this industry you should go for it ! get into 3d and learn Maya – hopefully one day I’ll get to work on a film written by Scott westerfeld – just had to put that in so scott wouldn’t feel I was abusing he’s blog 😉

  8. Niki, as long as we’re hijacking Scott’s blog to talk about YOU: are there any interviews with you online where I can figure out what it is you actually /do/?

    It sounds so cool from what Scott and Justine say about your work, but I’d like to understand more than ‘she did something on that shot of the big monkey’. Techno-speakery is not a problem, I’ll just nod sagely-but-dumbfounded during those parts. And if there aren’t any interviews: why the hell not?

  9. This is so funny, Marrije, I just mentioned on my blog that I’m thinking of posting one with her. I want to understand what she does, too! Actually, we started one with her about six months ago, but then she got too busy to answer more questions. I think I’ll try and finish the interview and post it in January.

    In the meantime, there’s one here, but it’s pretty old.

  10. sorry to get back to scott but …

    hey scott, i just went to the massive barnes and noble in kalamazoo, mi (where my folks live) to get books for my niece and they had sold out and reordered uglies several times, the ya buyer told me. they had massive stacks of pretties and peeps, which were half depleted when compared to the stacks around them. it took all my self control not to tell the buyer gratuitously that i know you. (magic or madness was sold out completely, too). so you’re famous in kalamazoo. i know that will be your tagline from now on.

  11. now away from scott (sorry), yeah niki i really hope i can do it. im good with computers but only ok at drawing (which totally sucks because i love to). now back to scott……yeah i went to my barnes and noble and 3 days after it came out i had to wait for the next shipment to come (i made them order more, along with a few other people). you are V.v. popular!! yay for you!

  15. Creepy picture. I’d say you would most definitely be the person to ask about Plastic Surgery. The guy who had the guts to accuse man-kind of being superficial.

    Coongratulations on making the top Amazon list. Your books deserve it.

    I had a question for you actually. Have you considered getting your books to audio? I love listening to books on tape on a long car ride, and I think your books would make wonderful long drive material. It’d be great if you could get a teenager to read them, and or even better maybe you could do some/all of it? Think it over, okay?

    -Hannah

  16. Amy, I wasn’t being sarcastic. Niki really can’t draw. She’s an excellent photographer, though. You can check out some of her photos here.

  17. i guess thats a good thing then(for me). those are good pictures. i tried photography im ok at that too.
    merry christmas!!!!

  18. Amy – yes I sux at drawing – not many people in my industry can draw – don’t worry

    marrije – yes justine keeps bugging me about interviews – it’s not that glam though – mostly I’m just in a dark room all day in frount of a computer… scott is way cooler. He can go anywhere with he’s computer, light rooms, cafes, parks, NY, Sydney, Mexico, Argentina, Bolonia, London, glasgow….

  19. And what does Scott do in all those places? Sit in a room all day in front of a computer . . .

  20. Yeah, but as Niki points out, it’s not a dark room, Justine. So there.

    Claire: Famous in Kalamazoo? Kewl.

    Hannah: Actually, So Yesterday is coming out in audio book form in two weeks. Thanks for reminding me so that I can blog about it.

    But as far as who reads it aloud, or what other books of mine come out, well, just add that to the long list of things authors don’t control.

  21. What about things authors DO control?…lets see
    – The words
    – The…hobos.
    – The…uhh….minds of fragile young beings that could smash into a thousand metophorical pieces in a matter of moments…I mean…what? Hey look over there! Vegans! I’ll just go hang out with…them….*runs away*

  22. My mind isn’t fragile. Kinda.

    Ah, but congrats on the quoting Scott. Mabye one day I’ll be quoted in a newspaper, or have my face changed or something important like that.

  23. I am not fragile either…….well at least i think so. hmmmm. now thats a ? worth pondering. well, excuse me while i ponder…….

  24. i read this blog and i felt compelled to go to the bookstore and buy Uglies (which i hadnt yet read) there was none on the shelves at the B&N in tucson so i asked the manager apparently they had one left in the back and i got it!!! im reading it now and it is really good so far, well im gonna go back to reading *goes back to bean bag chair and reads*

  25. allianne- u live around tucson? thats awsome i lived there for 8 years before i moved to corona. i know thats not that interesting to anyone but me……but oh well.

  26. Well i thnk your books are awsome, i couldn’t put it down really! i first picked uglies up in my school book fair. i doubted it at first( it gets better) and then i loved it! its so AWESOME! i think it will get more popular by the days! good work!

  27. Hah. I like how the woman with the dog-eaten face is wearing mascara and lipstick. Couldn’t help but notice.

    And they make Uglies and Pretties sound like political statements. I wonder what they’ll say when Specials comes out…

    “Scott Westerfeld mocks FBI agents In new book Specials…see page 14 for article”

  28. Now THAT would be a good cover for pretties! I guess it doesn’t really continue the theme of the other covers, though.

    Congrats on the quoting, you sound smart in them

  30. In case it matters, the quote on “Specials,” according to Amazon.com is “The final volume in the highly acclaimed UGLIES trilogy.” Just thought you might like to know.

  31. happy new year!!! may you have a good year and a good new years resolution(that you actually keep). i like to watch the ball drop….but it kills it knowing that you are watching a recording and that it really happend 3 hours earlier. *sigh* well happy new year!!!!

  33. whats a boing boing? i looked at it but im still not sure (not to be totally mean and rain on scotts happy parade).

  34. lol, amy, you appear to be a daily visitor to scott’s site =) that’s what i call a TRUE fan. lol =) And about the headlines of:
    “Scott Westerfeld mocks FBI agents In new book Specials…see page 14 for article”
    thats hilerious.
    I think your stories are really original, scott. oh and in “Pretties” did the dad come back? I was thinking maybe they hid him or something. but my imagination is very active…… lol

  35. Wait. WHAT? The dog ate that woman’s FACE? Are you serious? OMG Why on Earth did you have to upload that picture! haha… 😐

  36. MY NAME IS AMY! I LOOKED MY NAME UP ON THE INTERNET, AND FOUND THIS PAGE!! I DUNNO WAT ITS ABOUT CAUSE I DIDN’T READ IT, BUT ALL I NO IS THAT AMYS ROOOOLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

  38. WTF!?!?!?! SHE HAD HER FACE EATEN BY A DOG!! yeouch. and i thought that graze on my elbow was bad.. poor person.

    WOOT WOOT WOOT! i roc

  40. oh no, i’ve kinda wreked your blog, its supposed to ber serious, sorri!! (p.s, Amy is, the ultimate best)

  41. Justine and Niki,
    I cannot believe your on this site that is so awsome!!!Its wierd because you guys (you to Scott) are all like super famous and are even friends/on the same site. And niki even though im only twelve (almost thitrteen Feb.26)i would love to also do a movie by Scott Westerfeld(love the idea scott). You could probably do the faces for the Pretties because they are symetrical.Although i would be a crappy actress i could be usefull so have your people call my people if the movie happens(*cough*Scott). Ok its true I have no people but a person can dream!Oh sorry scott i know this is really your sight!!But me along with the others writing to Nikki or Justine still love you!!

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