Hey, all. Sorry I haven’t been posting much, but I’ve been acclimatizing to New York and getting rested for a summer (and fall) of travel and appearances! The Goliath tour will start a few days before September 20, when the book comes out. I DON’T KNOW YET where I’ll be going on tour, but I’ll post here when I do, and in the meantime I’ll be doing a few events on my own.
Event 1
I’ll be at Comic Con in San Diego, July 20-25! As always, it is sold out. But for those of you coming, here’s what I’m doing:
Sunday, July 24
11:15-12:15AM Building the World of Leviathan, an Illustrated Steampunk Series. Bestselling YA author Scott Westerfeld (Uglies, Midnighters) discusses how illustrated adventure novels disappeared in the early 20th Century, and how he worked with artist Keith Thompson to create one for the 21st, Leviathan, a steampunk re-imaging of WWI. Lots of visuals (and some secret news about Uglies).
There’s another panel about teen comics that I’ll be in, but it’s not confirmed yet. It will probably be Thursday, July 21, 4:30-5:30.
Event 2
I’ll also be at Leakycon in Orlando FL, from July 13-17. I’ll be appearing there for Lit Day, July 13, a YA-fest run by the tireless Maureen Johnson.
Sorry, but Lit Day also appears to be sold out! For those of you who are coming, here are the bits with me:
All Wednesday, July 13
10:00-10:50AM
Let’s Talk about Vampires: Let’s just do it. Let’s just talk about vampires. Why do people love these toothy freaks? Is there any new territory? Will they ever go away? Do we really want them to? We’re just going to talk about vampires, because someone has to. (GT I)
With: John Green, Scott Westerfeld, Robin Wasserman, Barry Goldblatt, Jennifer Laughran Moderator: Maureen Johnson
11:00-11:50AM
The Scott Westerfeld Experience: Scott Westerfeld discusses working with an artist to create his illustrated steampunk series, Leviathan. He reveals hitherto unseen artwork from the final book in the series, Goliath, and from his latest top secret project. (AT I)
12:30-1:20PM
Love and Romance: What’s the deal here? Common wisdom says girls demand these things in their books and boys dislike them… but is that true? How do authors decide how to handle the squishy bits of life? How is LGBTQ literature bringing a fresh perspective? How far can scenes go? Is there really a difference between a love story and a romance novel? This panel wants to be in a relationship with you on Facebook, so you know it is serious. (GT II)
With: Ally Carter, John Green, Kate Schafer-Testerman, Scott Westerfeld, Stephanie Perkins, David Levithan Moderator: Robin Wasserman
1:30-2:20PM
I Was a Teenage Author: Think all published authors start out writing works of pure, undiluted genius? Think your work is terrible and you’ll never get anywhere, ever? Be prepared to be amazed. Authors read actual works from their tortured teenage years, giving you hope and inspiration to keep going. (TT IV)
With: Scott Westerfeld, David Levithan, Libba Bray, John Green, Robin Wasserman, Stephanie Perkins Moderator: Maureen Johnson
And at 2:30 I’ll be signing. (Dude, Maureen is a harsh taskmistress. WHY ARE THERE NO BREAKS?)
And finally, it’s time for another Walker Wednesday, the extremely infrequent feature on this blog where I share images of Clanker-ish or not walking machines. This one is from Japan’s Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and has the lovely name “HRP-4C humanoid.”
And it walks kinda like this:
(via io9)
Hmm. Not quite Uncanny Valley, and not quite human-like. Just sort of . . . disturbingly careful.
There’s a weird thing about walkers, whether they have a face or not. Because they walk, like us humans do, we see their walking in human terms. Their movements look angry, or jaunty, or drunken to us, in a way that cars (or anything else with wheels) never quite do. And as a novelist, that expressiveness makes walkers more interesting to me than other kinds of machines.
Not that you can’t write an evil car, like Steven King’s Christine, but it’s still very different, dramatically and novelistically speaking, when a machine stands up.
I think the world will get much more weird when more of our devices start to walk around.
I am just commenting to be the first.
The walker walks creepily!!!! Not at all how I’d imagine a clanker machine.
That’s kind of odd to watch, which is a shame because the Clankers could do so much better way back in 1914. So, eh, catch up, 2011 robot lady!
I think that technology is advancing RAPIDLY and that pretty soon, we may not be suprised to see robots/walkers that move fluently and can preform some pretty advanced functions. I don’t know if this is entirely good. The young generations (and some of the older ones too) have become so dependent on thechnology that, eventually, we may not know how to actually take care of ourselves when the time comes. Technology is not bad, but I believe that we must be careful.
Creeepy walker. I think I have a new fear of robots… robotphobia.
you’re going to be speaking with ALLY CARTER! another favorite!! oh yeah….the walker was cool too 😛 haha
Hmm… unseen artwork from Goliath. Will we get to look at those too? Or is it just for those lucky enough to go Leakycon. Or are they the pictures we’ve already seen?
@robot/vampire loving Leviathan obssesed people
who doesn’t love creepy human-like robots? I don’t know how we survive without them. and a vampire discussion with Scott Westerfeld! wish i could go but sadly i cant because that would require tearing my eyes away from this blog and possibly, though not likely since Scott refuses to update more often though we all know he can (hint hint), missing an update.
Damn my complete misfortune to live in a country where Scott Westerfeld won’t be visiting.
“New secrets from the Uglies trilogy” and “latest top secret project” – what is this? I’m interested now, and wish I was attending at least one of these events =/
Cool but i can see why it seems to be walking creepy the legs are not fully straightened but of course you would need a rubber robot to be able to copy cat humans fluid movements to replicate our muscles the keep us from tiping over being able to move any which way we want and bend without breaking but being make of metal or plastic takes that ablilty down a noche (sorry for the long explaination i know alot about this stuff cuz i LOVE to draw and if you want to draw you have to know the limits of the body) but still it is CREEPY! BTW I CAN NOT WAIT UNTILL 3RD BOOK COMES OUT! i am literally dying just waiting for it so far i’m surviving with fan art and fanfiction! with out it you would read in the papers
Young girl tragically dies of incapability to wait for september 20th the release date of the last book in the leviathan series
that would be really sad ;p
Will we get to hear about your top secret project too? Will we get to see those pictures from Goliath? Will we get that new Uglies info too? Will we…
Please! Please post the new info on here!
Why am I not older? Why am I not going to LeakyCon? Why?! Oh well… I’m sure there will be more opportunities. Anyway, that walking robot is awesome and freaky at the same time. It’s awesome that we can make machines walk like that, but if I saw that thing coming at me in the middle of the night, I’d be sufficiently freaked out.
Yeah…that robot kinda walks like me (fell off the stairs on the bus and totally busted my back. Ugh.).
Sigh….why do all the -Cons have to be so far AWAY?! I’ve always wanted to attend ComicCon and E3 (which really isn’t a con), but I’m too…young (apparently, you can’t even bring your baby to E3. That’s really awful, seeing that babies probably don’t know what the heck a game is anyway).
This is weird, because I just finished watching Ocean’s 12 & 13 before I saw these -Con comment. Heheheh…cons…..
See y’all on Fridayz.
When I read the words Uncanny Valley, I thought you were making a reference to the Criminal Minds episode. Sigh. But you’re going to be speaking with Ally Carter? I wish I could be there. Almost all the cool book stuff happens without me.
Kinda creepy, the way it walks…probably because its posture is not very humanly…yet. Well, we’ll have some persocoms on our way soon (for anyone who has read CLAMP’s Chobits, you know what I mean).
It’s neat that technology is progressing at such a fast rate as compared to when IBM came out with its first computer, but technology takeover might become inevitable (like in the Matrix ~shiver~).
I wish I could go to cons, I mean…it’s summer! But parents >.>
Can’t wait for Goliath to come out ^0^
Why is everything happening at LeakyCon????
I would be going if my parents would take me.
If only I was older and had money!
OMG ALLY CARTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could go!!!!!!!!!! But sadly I will not be traveling to San Diego. SCOT PLZ COME TO CT!!!! it’s not fair. If you came close enough tht my
Mom would take me u would come in a HEARTBEAT!!! I know your only one person and you have another life too but I am sad. Good luck with ALLY!!!! It would be amazing to be there with my 2 FAV authors. No exageration.
Mostly everybody has said(asked) what I wanted to say(ask) so I’ll just respond to Books Before Boy’s comment about technology taking over humans. (Nice name, by the way ;D)
I don’t think humans could survive if they didn’t do anything for themselves. Humans evolved to protect themselves, eat, walk, talk, see and all that jazz and to have technology take over one or all of them would add an unnatural jump to human evolution. If humans did survive with technological advancement, then they’d probably look like the humans do in Wall-E, all helpless and fat.
However, I do think technological interference with humans is inevitable. Like life evolves, so does technology. I wouldn’t be surprised if people started losing jobs in mass because they were being replaced with robots such as demonstrated in Scottla’s feature video. Human-like robots will start being librarians or butchers or accountants, occupations that don’t necessarily require an opinion to carry out their function.
At least I can rest assured that all robots and machines need someone to control them, and that’s the humans.
Just my opinion…
Y’know. I’m kinda kicking myself right now even though it’s all sold out and all for Leakycon because I’m going to be in Orlando the day after all of that stuff. Tthat would happen. Plus hearing the teenage writings? Ah! That would be great!
Well I’m ready for my keys and cell phone to start walking around, that way I won’t be constantly losing them!
This robot has cosplayed. As what character? Anthropomorphic voice software. No kidding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkuSGYPTcw
Just how does Japan’s brain work? Dressing a robot up to look like… Another robot. It’s so awesome. The voice software, named “Miku Hatsune” has a ludicrously vast fanbase. She can sing like an angel. (Admittedly a shrill, digital, Engrish angel.) She has been cosplayed more than any anime character. (And by a robot.) And she can work a crowd like it’s no one’s business.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTXO7KGHtjI
Is this the future of pop stars? I sort of doubt it, but it’s pretty darn cool. Just look at her, dancing for her screaming fans.
For more robots, see the movie/anime “Time of Eve.” Thought-provoking, gorgeous, and subtle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERGOqSoyRF4
Are there going to be videos of the panels?
And of course none of these events ever come to the midwest….
Anyways, on a less pouty note, that walker thing is so cool! It’s like, I want one! 8D
I just love that!
Um…everyone is going to hate me…but I’m going to be at both Comic Con and LeakyCon!!!! I’m so so so pumped, I can’t stop thinking about it all! I’m probably more excited about LeakyCon, just because it will be more of an adventure as I live right next to Comic Con in San Diego. Also, wizard rock! And of course your panels, Scott-la. 3 more weeks!
One of the many joys of living in Norway- It on the other side of the world from everywhere… The Uglies series is “news” here… I wonder how Long it will tale before the other books come!:(
NOTHING IN OHIO?! TT.TT GET GET LESS POPULAR STATES SCOTT-LA!!! PFFFT NO FANFICS?!
You MUST tell me if you’re visiting the Washington DC area Mr. Scott, you MUST. I DEMAND it.
Haha, just kidding.
But seriously.
Oh I’ve seen that walker a few times, and I swear it gives me the creeps.
Yeah, kinda unsettling, the way it’s posture is slanted forward, like it’s windy or something. Kinda walks like a zombie.
“Revealing hitherto unseen artwork from Goliath”?! Let us in on that, Mr. Westerfeld!
Having nothing to do with anything;
“Ten men in our country could buy the whole world and ten million can’t buy enough to eat.”
– Will Rodgers
aww i live in Florida but of course i can’t go to Orlando nooo that would mean something good would happen huh oh well guess i’ll just wait till Goiliath comes or perhaps till next fortnightly fan art friday? hmmm hmmm think about it Scott
Why is the robot wearing a stormtrooper’s outfit?
Yay Sunday, one of the days I actually have tickets for Comic-Con for (only got Thursday and Sunday, already planning on buying next year’s tickets at the Con).
Hi folks! I actually have some cool stuff to share with everyone today! you may remember me mentioning the Blood of Kings book series a while back (if you don’t, that’s ok too.). Today however, I have found a NEW series that I like a lot, by the same author who wrote the magnificent Incarceron (If you haven’t read it yet, read it NOW.). The new series is called Relic Master and the four books in the series are going to be released from May to August. Already, two books are available, and both keep me anxiously waiting for the rest in the series. It’s also a great filler series for those who can’t wait for Goliath, since the final book comes out August 9th-just enough time to read it before September 20th!
Ask me if you want more information.
Also, I agree with Iana here Scott-La…come near D.C.! Preferably someplace in Virginia (we have lots of bookstores over here), but anywhere within a hour of my place is alright.
@TheWordMaster
could you maybe describe those series you where talking about cuz im to lazy to go look
WHAT KIND OF SECRET NEWS ABOUT UGLIES?!?!?!?
Out of curiosity…
You’ve probably been linked to these a dozen times, but just in case, Boston Dynamics has been creating some pretty formidable walkers lately, including an autonomously powered four-legged robot that can self-pilot, follow a signal device, and keep from falling down on ice and rough terrain, and a prototype for a bipedal human-sized robot with a genuine heel-toe gait.
BIGDOG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHJJQ0zNNOM
PETMAN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67CUudkjEG4
It’s not the Uglies movie, is it?
Will you post the news after Comic Con?
PLEASE!!!???!??!
*psssst* you should come to Minneapolis~
hehe…to sorta go along with Liset’s comment (#20), i once lost my smart phone and my friend said, “I would think real smart phones would grow legs and follow after you, so it doesn’t get lost” so ya. then we got into a big discussion and we came up with this; we humans would were a small device that sends a signal to our phones and they will have legs and follow after us. just picture going into a high school with students walking around and their phones coming after them…hehe. little creepy? eh, i think it sounds cool
o and what came of my lost cell phone??? it was lost forever…becuase it wasnt smart enough….
I have visited your blog.
Its very nice regarding cons and walker.
Looking forward for some more such videos.
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