Simon & Schuster’s annual BlogFest is happening right now! BlogFest is a huge group blogging project in which the same questions are answered by me and 39 other S&S authors. (Click here for the full list). Today’s question is, “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”
Not every author answers every question, but there are usually three or more of us for each one. It’s been cool to see different writers respond to the same stimulus.
Click here daily for the Blogfest homepage.
Now, continuing with my recent (and no doubt short-lived) tradition of Walker Wednesday, behold today’s walker, the Italian, flame-breathing, two-legged motorcycle known as Lrry.
I didn’t run into Lrry until Leviathan was complete, so it didn’t occur to me to include any two-legged motorcycles. The closest thing to Lrry in my world is the four-legged horse walkers revealed here in last week’s Walker Wednesday.
Anyway, I like that Lrry breathes flame. More things should breathe flame. And its walking motion has something uncanny about it. That’s a cool thing about walkers, they set off a weird reaction in my head. I’m used to animals walking and vehicles having wheels, and when those two things get mixed up, it rewires my brain just a little.
I mean, seeing a cat with wheels would be pretty freaky too, right?
But why is this thing called Lrry?
Here’s a (rather long) movie showing Lrry in motion:
Comment #1!!!!!!!! !st time #1
Sorry I meant 1st time ive had the first comment. lol! lrry is awesome, i love it
I want one… It looks AWESOME!
Wait. So what superpower?
lol, pretty cool– though I already imagine the machines in Leviathan as being cooler just from the first two chapters 🙂
Thats pretty sweet..i want one too 🙂
come on man, don’t just dangle that superpower question in front of us and not answer it! 🙁
today in chemistry i had my copy of Crashed by Robin Wasserman on my desk. the guy next to me looks at it and said “this looks like one of those Uglies books.” i do a little slow head turn and he then goes “you know, Uglies, Pretties, Specials…” i then go “you’ve read Uglies!?!?!” and i whisper-yell across the room “Maddy! He’s read Uglies!”
My desired superpower: FLIGHT!
Lrry is the most amazing thing I have ever seen in like ever.
That’s not very articulate but I’m just so amazed and in love with Lrry-1.
That’s fan-freaking-tastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, flight is the best super power, as far as I’m concerned.
But with wings or other means or just magik in general?
Very cool!
Is it pronounced, “Larry”, then?
Wow I’ve never gotten this close to being like in the first 10 comments!! So what power did you choose Scott? And that that vidoe was awsome!!! 😀
And the first person to post thier comment, Jessie, it’s supose to be Jessie-la!! You put a -wa at the end if theres a L in your name which there isn’t so it’s Jessie-la!!
MY WORLD REVOLVES AROUND WAITING FOR NOV. 7TH BECAUSE SCOTT-LA IS COMINGG!!!!
I’ve already dragged to friends into goin with meee!!
w00t!!
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
so im confused……what power would u want?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH nevermind.;D
lrrys cool
jessica-la, no affense, but i dont really care that i put wa at the end of my name. i like jessie-wa better than jessie-la.
hmmmmm….ummmmmm….is anyone else concerned with the fact that all the walkers look like they could be a new form of weaponry? i mean seriously i didn’t watch the whole thing but if that thing can breathe flame too then…well i think we have a serious problem!!! can you imagine those machines falling into the wrong hands. i can see it….someone rides down the street on one of those things and everyone is mesmerized and then *FLAME TIME* and who knows what other sorts of weapons you can add on those things. as much as i like technology and as much as i may seem to like destruction, pain and whatnot i am totallyy not thrilled with creating something that could potentially be used for evil, especially something that looks like a gigantic dog!!!! that’s just my opinion though and im probably the only one who would think of that thing as a weapon but im just saying.. imagine what terrorists could do with something like that. remember the really close to happening closing of Guantanamo Bay that our brilliant president is making happen …yeah..those are the people who would use this thing against us! just saying….and if ya didn’t know “brilliant” was sarcastic hehe 🙂
and yeah flying is a legit power. i’d rather read minds or like see the future though i think. i don’t know…any power would be cool!!!
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!! <3
thats hot. =P
Viva-la-smoke! it does look like it could be used as a weapon. lol its pretty awesome though
does anyone else have a problem with my name having wa even though it doesnt have a l in it
I’m not surprised Scott-la.
Just from the Uglies series anyway. All the high jumps, hoverboards, etc..
My first wish would be to fly. If I could, I’d give up my life so I could fly around the world and catch all the sunsets and sculpt the clouds!
I’ve only been on three plane rides, and all three I basically stared out the window the whole time (except for one I spent the first half hour striking deals to get into a window seat)!
I would love to fly – the three dimensions. I wouldn’t mind living in the sea either, there are three dimensions there as well!
Hey scott-la! I’m on the school computer, so I can’t be on long. I just wanted to run this by everyone –
You need to write a story about Mady and Az (omigosh, I think I got their names/spelling right… I’m a fail as an Uglies fan! D:) and David. Like, start their story from Mady and Az leaving to make the Smoke, and include David being born, and growing up, and HIS SCAR STORY.
Okay?
Amy~la: Is Crashed awesome? and, HUZzAh! for random people reading the Uglies series!!
Jessie-wa: I’m with you on the -la/-wa. And less Uglies fans will have it because they might follow the rules with their name, so then everyone knows it’s you. : D
Viva La Smoke!: Are You TYC Leader/Biggest Green Day Fan Ever/Forever Last?
Emily-wa: THAT IS A BRILLIANT IDEA.
I think I’d want to have wings and be able to fly, though that might just be residule from Maximum Ride that’s stuck in my head. Personally, I’d like to read minds, dangerous but fun still.
Everyone have a good day!
so I am at school trying to find a CIA for AP gov and I went first to BBC, which is my fav news site… and the whole G20 thing is sweeping all news sites… but the one that stuck out to me was on the Foxs News site: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/25/obama-announce-expansion-global-cooperation/
They titled the article: Obama to Usher In New World Order at G-20
Isn’t that… interesting…
Thx Jay-wa. Everyone should know its me, lol! I havent seen anyone with the same name as me yay.
Thats a really good idea Emily-wa! Scott-la you should write a book about Mady, Az, and David and how Mady and Az ran away and how David grew up.
Julie-wa, I dont really wanna read it, cuz im in a hurry, but whats it about???
One of my friends hates to read and i finally got her to read(the Uglies series) and she LOVES it! yay! Ok im reading the Midnighters series(Blue Noon, the 3rd book) righ tnow and its all i can think about, its been on my mind 4 like a week and until i finish it i’ll keep thing bout it!! lol
oh… I just think it is interesting they are suggesting a “world order”
So scott if you want to fly is that why Jonathan in Midnighters flies or why you incorporated flying machines in Uglies Series? jus wondering.
It kinda looks like a llama…A fire breathing…llama. But thats way cool!!
I would so wanna fly, I would love to be an acrobat like in Jonathan in the midnighters series. Even though he cant fly all day I would love it. I love Jonathan, he’s my fav character, from that series anyways
Okay, I recognized the picture of the Lrry as soon as I saw it. Mr. Westerfeld, by any chance do you read Popular Science magazine? The Lrry is featured (not really featured, but…) in this year’s September issue. All this yummy information is coming from the article, and not me. Unfortunately. But it’s still accurate! Popular Science hasn’t lied to me yet… So, it’s actually pronounced “Larry.” But I don’t know why it’s called the Lrry. Maybe it’s just cool sciency slang? Like texting. brb. cul8r. You know… the stuff of the unbelievably cool nerds, or lazy people. Not sure. Lyle Rowell, the “artist,” as he is called (I’d go with “creator,” or “technician,” or something) , is from Italy. I’ll ask an Italian. It’s described as a “giant fire-breathing robot dog; a cloven-hooved, two-legged, half-donkey, half-raptor-type-raptile.” That’s a mouthful. The engine is from a Citroen (sort of like a Volkswagen Bug), and top speed is 0.6 mph. Zero-point-six! Oh well. And what you may not believe is that the Lrry was featured in the DIY How 2.0 section of the magazine. Yes, the time allotted for the project and cost to complete were included in the article. It’ll take me 4 months and $5000 dollars, but I WILL make my own Lrry. But maybe call it Jrry. Or something equally lame.
Jay-wa: yeah that’s me! how’d ya know? besides the fact that i said it like a few posts ago. you probablyy wouldn’t remember from that so i’m impressed. hahaha so yeah that’s reallyy cool you remembered…it’s probably coz of the fact that i still LOOOVE Green Day right?? haha but i don’t know. i’d like to know how you remember…i’m a veryy curious person! hahaha 🙂
Jessie-wa: Lrry is prettyy awesome but the whole potential weapon thing is still veryy dominant in my mind. and i reallyy could care less about you putting wa at the end of your name even though it doesn’t have a L in it. i actuallyy didn’t even know that was the rule!!! but i guess that kinda makes sense coz if you put la at the end of a name that had an L in it that would just be too much! but i think Jessie-wa flows better than Jessie-la. but that’s me. i don’t like ever wanna add wa or la on the end of my name coz my name ends with an A already and it just sounds bad so be thankful you can actuallyy add something to the end of your name!!! hahaha 🙂
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
Viva La Smoke: was that potential weopon thing supposed to be to me cuz i didnt write that, i read that but, didnt write it. ya i didnt know that was the rule until Jessica-la said that my name was supposed to be Jessie-la cuz it doesnt have an l. i like saying Jessie-wa more than Jessie-la anywayz.
I finished my book and now im rereading pretties! i finally got my friend to read uglies, she LOVES it, but not nearly as much as i do! lol!
Bye everyone!
Jessie-wa: you just said that you could see it being a potential weapon too but you still thought it was pretty awesome. so yeah i was just addressing that…so unless there’s another jessie-wa on here….hahaha i don’t know…
in other news: i might (key word might) be going to a Paramore concert. they’re awesome and i hope i can go. oh and it’s in Philly! see….Philly isn’t all boring Scott!! haha just kidding i know you don’t control that 😉
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
Viva La Smoke!: sorry ur right i said that, lol forgot! and there’s not or atleast i dont think there is another Jessie-wa.
Jessie-wa: haha it’s all good…we all forget things…some more than others hahah jk 🙂
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
Viva La Smoke!: im the most forgetful person EVER! i never remember anything my friends tell me, but whatever! have you read the uglies series if not u sooooo should, extras is my favorite. r u going to any of Scott’s signings??? i wish i was the closest one to me is tempe, az and thats like 700 mile away. i live in CO, its so boring no one famous ever comes here! the other one is boston, i could have a suprise visit to my aunt up there for a week, but my mom would never let me! lol. sorry i write a lot and change topics a lot too. BYE!!!
Jessie-wa: uhhhhh….DUH!!! i read uglies!!! haha it’s like the most amazing series ever!!! Scott Westerfeld is my FAVORITE author i’ve read like all his books except the reallyy old ones but i want those too. and i reallyy wish i could go to one of the signings but like you i have the same problem and they aren’t anywhere close to me!!! 🙁 and even if i could travel a couple of hours school gets in the way!!!! hate it!!!! haha and yeah i switch subjects alot too. hahah 😉
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
me too, both of them are on a school day and one of them is my moms birthday! well that was a stupid question anyone who is a scott fan has read those books. theyre the BEST!! i cant decide which ones my fav same with the characters! scotts my fav author too in a couple days im gonna buy bubbly to bogus: an insiders guide to the world of uglies. which ones ur fav and whos ur fav characters?? or can u not decide?? i LOOOOOVE david and zane, but theyre not my favorite characters, i cant decide!
oh i figured out a smiley fac u’ve probley already seen it though. 🙄 its so cute!
Jessie-wa: i already read Bogus to Bubbly. it’s good really interesting. and i know how ya feel about choosing a favorite character..it’s really quite impossible. my favorite book though out of them is probably…ummmm…i actuallyy really like Specials even though Zane dies 🙁 totallyy sad but i think i like David better…i think it’s the fact that he never needed an operation to see Tally for who she really was and they had like a real thing going on. i mean i know Zane and Tally were cured but like i actually think maybe there was the more sexual aspect between them…i mean they figured out the cure together sure but beyond that they didn’t know anything about each other so i think their relationship was mainly sex and adrenaline…Tally and David were real! haha. yeah but i like Specials coz i like Tally as a Special. i like it even though it got me in a whole big mess of trouble. seriously reading these books made me feel empty and i have no clue why!!! 🙁 but anyway my favorite character is probably Tally…she’ pretty much just amazing!!! haha 🙂 i got a question for you: Do you read Sarah Dessen? i think she’s amazing. i really like her book Dreamland but all are reallyy good. 🙂 if you don’t read her books then you really should 😉
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
viva la smoke!: i look at some of sarah dessen’s books. i really liked specials too, but i really liked extras even though it wasnt totally about tally. i felt like a total idiot when i was reading that book though because i didnt relize where the setting was. i like david more than zane, but it was still sad when he died. i agree with u about tally and zanes relationship. like all they did was makeout they barely ever talked, i know they had those cuffs on and all but they couldve talked about something else. tallys probley my fav character, but my friends still reading uglies and shes like ‘i like shay more, shes so much more interesting’ im like no shes not! anyways that friend hasnt even gotton to the part where tally runs away. i really liked tally as a special, but i wish she didnt cut herself as much as she did(well she was a cutter)
ugh thats so annoying, i didnt mean to click submit! back to that sentence. im rereading the uglies series right now, im on pretties. ive read uglies 3x, but im on pretties for the 2nd time and im at the part when andrew simpson smith and tally are about to leave the town to go to the rusty ruins even though the ‘end of the world’ seems pretty suprising. i really like pretties, but i dont have a favorite! so now im done. bye!!
Jessie-wa: im pretty sure i have you beat on how many times i’ve reread the series…which is really sad i know but hey what can you do? the books are amazing!!! 🙂 and yeah tally and zane could’ve talked about something else or like done something else..i mean fausto figured out the hoverboads and stuff so like all they did was starve themselves and make out! haha oh and im sure your friend will change her mind when she’s finished with the series…if she reads the whole series…or if she even reads the whole first book. i know people who read like the first few chapters and stopped!! i was like ugh you can’t do that it gets a hell of a lot better!!! but they refuse to listen…so sad….:( and that’s funny that you didn’t know where the setting was…that was kinda crucial to the plot…sorta…haha anyway don’t feel like an idiot it was probably just coz the dialogue was in english and not japanese..thank god!! no way could i have read that!!!! hahahah 😛
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
Viva La Smoke!: i bet u have read the uglies series more than me. the books are so amazing! i know if fausto can figure out how to trick a hover board being a bubble head and being listened to, tally and zane could’ve done something! ya the last line of uglies and pretties are total cliff hangers, but my friend luvs the book =, but always says i dunno if im gonna read the whole series. i know they don’t listen, i oaned my book to this girl she got like a quarter of the way through it and stopped! ya i know i went back and looked at it and i was like wow im being stupid! i couldnt of red it in japanese either, but at least i got it before i finished the book. it just confuzed me cuz it was in english, but actually in japanese. lol bye
Jessie-wa: the books are definitely amazing. and yeah all the other Crims like did more than tally and zane but zane did get those headaches. whatever…i get headaches like zane and still go thru school. haha. if your friend loves the book then she should read the rest coz they are just as good if not better 🙂 and yeah the whole english but it’s actually japanese thing thru me off a little too but i kinda realized from the cover that she wasn’t like american…maybe you missed that…hahaha 😉 and i think more people should definitely read scott’s books…i think it will help prepare for the future!!! but that’s just me 🙂
tell me a story into that goodnight…
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
Viva La Smoke!: i agree more people should read scotts books. i saw the cover but sometimes im a bubble head! zane did get major headaches but his head didnt all the time. my throat feels like hell and it hurts to talk i might have strep. so no school 4 me. thank god i can txt and type! bye!
Jessie-wa: i think we’re all bubble-heads sometimes. haha. it sucks that your throat hurts and yeah it’s a damn good thing that all the technology allows you to communicate without actually talking hahah…i know i couldn’t live without txting!!! which is sad but yeah….hahaha 🙂 anyway…bye!
tell me a story into that goodnight…
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!! <3
Viva La Smoke!: i couldnt live without my phone! my throat feels so much better yesterday morning i couldnt talk and now my fevers going down
Jessie-wa: glad to know we’re on the same page hahaha. yeah phones are necessary for survival and will probably end up killing us all..but you know it’s all good. 😉 and im glad you’re feeling better. 🙂 it sucks being sick. 🙁 except for the fact that you can miss school and sit at home and read all day..that’s the silver lining!! 🙂
tell me a story into that goodnight…
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!! <3
Viva La Smoke!: i hate being sick but i like the staying home part. i was rereading pretties i think i told u but i finished on friday. ive decided that i like the book specials but i dont like tally special cuz all she does is hurt anyone thats not special including david (i love david!) and zane! and also i didnt just figure this out but the people she loves always cause her to do bad things like: she went to the smoke because she loved shay as a friend(well and she loved the thought of being pretty) she tried to destroy the locket in uglies which brought specials because she loved david, she became a pretty to make it up to david cuz she loved him, she got stranded in the wilderness cuz she jumped off to late cuz she loved peris as a friend, she became a special cuz she loved zane, ect. so its not tallys fault its everyone elses. that was long and confuzing sorry lol bye
Jessie-wa: totally agree with you on all accounts! she never does anything for herself and is always trying to make someone else happy. despite shay saying she’s self-centered…she’s really not. if it weren’t for her loving shay the whole thing never would have happened!! so really it’s SHAY’S fault but whatever. hahaha.
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
Viva La Smoke!: haha ya its all shays fault. lol! sorry i went on this camping trip and NO ELECTRONICS!!!! it sucked no phone no computer no nothing lol so much hiking but it was fun
Jessie-wa: pretty sure i’d flip out if i had no electronics. well…i could survive without my computer…and to some extent my phone…but if you include iPods in electronics…well…i’d go COMPLETELY CRAZY!!! i loooooooooooooooooooooove my iPod…you may think that’s sad but well i do and i can’t survive without music…no way no how…it’s what keeps me sane! haha 🙂
tell me a story into that goodnight…
GREEN DAY ROCKS!!!! <3
Viva La Smoke!: ya under electronics it means ALL electronics. it was soo hard!
she has many legs to choose from. In Uglies terms she is a Diegoan, someone who alters her body at will for practical and aesthetic reasons. She’s also good at talking about these alterations in awesome ways.