I’m just finalizing my schedule and packing list for ICON 35 A Steam Powered Convention of the Future, the science fiction convention in Cedar Rapids, IA, where I’m guest of honor this weekend. The event’s got several kinds of gaming (including two weekend-long LARPs), its own Stormtrooper garrison, an art show and masquerade, a writers’ workshop, and appearances from writers including Joe and Gay Haldeman (and many others). I’m really grateful to the ICON volunteers for bringing me to Iowa for the first time in my life, and can’t wait for the event, which promises to be a delight!

ICON 35 A Steam Powered Convention of the Future

Joe sez, “Hey Cory- Took your advice from little brother and started to teach
myself Python. I wrote my first little script which downloads your
complete podcast archive(see below). I did this after finding out the
iTunes feed was incomplete, and severely needing a Doctorow fix. I
was hoping you could share the script with some of the listeners who
might find themselves a smiler situation.”

Script tested in python 2.7

--------------------------------------------------------------
import os
from urllib2 import urlopen, URLError, HTTPError

def dlfile(url):
    # Open the url
    try:
        f = urlopen(url)
        print "downloading " + url
        # Open our local file for writing
        with open(os.path.basename(url), "wb") as local_file:
            local_file.write(f.read())
    #handle errors
    except HTTPError, e:
        print "HTTP Error:", e.code, url
    except URLError, e:
        print "URL Error:", e.reason, url

def main():
    # Iterate over image ranges
    for index in range(1, 160):
        url = ("http://www.archive.org/download/"
               "Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_%d/"
               "Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_%d_64kb_mp3.zip" %
               (index, index))
        dlfile(url)
if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

I did a fun little interview with NPR’s All Tech Considered yesterday, about my forthcoming short story collection With a Little Help: Sci-Fi’s Cory Doctorow Separates Self-Publishing Fact From Fiction

The Argentine sf zine Axxón has produced a Spanish noncommercial fan-translation of my novel Little Brother, using Argentine idiom.

En esta historia se utilizan muchos términos relacionados con la informática y la tecnología de las comunicaciones. Estimo que los lectores de Axxón están familiarizados con casi todos en su idioma original, el inglés; por este motivo y porque las traducciones al castellano de esos términos difieren según el país del que se trate, tomé la decisión de dejar los más comunes sin traducir. En cuanto a la terminología poco frecuente, en algunos casos el autor explica a qué se refiere y en otros incluí aclaraciones mías insertadas en el texto, esto último teniendo en cuenta que Cory Doctorow ha autorizado explícitamente cualquier modificación de esta obra que apunte a su mejor comprensión, ya que ha sido escrita con una intención específica que el propio autor expresa en la Introducción.

“Hermano menor” (Introducción y Capítulo 1), Cory Doctorow

(Image: Ilustración para la novela “Hermano menor”, Valeria Uccelli)

Update: I’ve just heard from Eduardo Hojman, my editor at Puck, that the Spanish edition of Little Brother will be published on March 7, under the title, “PEQUEÑO HERMANO”! It’ll be distributed worldwide — through Spain and Latin America.

My latest Publishers Weekly column, “With a Little Twitter Help,” describes the invaluable aid I’ve gotten in my ongoing self-publishing project, With a Little Help, by asking my readers through Twitter for help. I’ve now got a functional SD card cloner, free packaging materials, and a website design, and as soon as a few technical/contractual details are ironed out with Lulu.com, I’ll be ready to launch:

Soon after, another realization hit me: I still had no idea how to ship these things. I used to run the mailroom at Bakka Books, the SF store in Toronto, and I got very good at improvising cardboard book mailers out of scrap boxes. But I really wanted something less labor-intensive. I’d planned on using a 4mm cardboard book box, similar to the ones used by Amazon for single-book mailings. I’d then pad the book inside. I’m charging $275 apiece, so I figure I better make sure the books arrive intact! I was just about to order some bubble-wrap sleeves when my eyes lit on a small stack of burlap coffee sacks on one of my storeroom shelves.

I love coffee sacks. The burlap is soft but scratchy, tactile, and it smells great—coffee and sisal. I thought, if I got a book wrapped in this, I’d love it. So I cut up a sack and tried tying a book in a couple of configurations. I snapped some pix, put them on Flickr, and tweeted: would you be delighted to get a book wrapped like this, or put off? The chorus of “delighted” was unanimous. So much for less labor intensive—but as an “Internet guy” I must say I’m finding all this physical stuff almost indecently pleasurable. It’s like being back in arts and crafts class.

My Twitter followers also pointed out that I’d need a layer of acid-free paper between the books and the burlap to prevent scratching, and several sent in the URLs for Web sites devoted to Japanese fabric wrapping. A few hours later, I got a tweet from the legendary Square Mile coffee roasters here in London. They have more coffee sacks than they know what to do with; could I come and take some, please? Another Twitter follower recommended a cheap cardboard mailer supplier called Zetland. I bought 30 boxes of mailers for £23.80.

With a Little Twitter Help

I’m speaking this weekend at the London edition of James Randi’s The Amazing Meeting, a two-day event featuring the likes of Stephen Fry, James Randi, Alan Moore, Graham Linehan, PZ Myers, Susan Blackmore, Rebecca Watson, and Simon Singh (and many more!). The Amazing Meeting is a fundraiser to support science and critical thinking.

TAM London 2010 is a world-class fundraising conference which this year is being held on 16 – 17 October 2010 at the Hilton London Metropole hotel. Join amazing speakers and over 1000 like-minded delegates for a fundraising celebration of science, critical thinking and entertainment in the heart of the city.

PLUS delegates have the chance to buy exclusive tickets to the premiere of Tim Minchin’s Storm movie and spend Saturday evening being entertained by Tim and special guests. A totally unique opportunity!

And if that wasn’t amazing enough, we’ve also arranged for a very special performance of Andy Nyman’s Ghost Stories on Friday 15th October just for TAM Delegates, with £5 off all tickets!

The TAM Fringe is also back this year, with free or nearly-free events in the week before and after TAM.

The Amazing Meeting London

Rebel UK MP Tom Watson and I are speaking together tonight at a panel for the Wesminster Skeptics, held in London at 7PM, free to enter, on the subject of “Beyond the Digital Economy Act.”

Beyond the Digital Economy Act

Panel including Cory Doctorow and Tom Watson MP

When?
Monday, October 11 at 7:00PM

Where?
The Monk Exchange
Strutton Ground
London
SW1H 0HW

What’s the talk about?
Now the Digital Economy Act has been passed, what happens next?

Beyond the Digital Economy Act – Monday, October 11 at 7:00PM