Astral Weeks and more

1. My new science fiction column, Astral Weeks, debuts at the Los Angeles Times website today. This installment looks at books by British writer Brian W. Aldiss and Nick Mamatas.

2. Tragic SF note: One of the victims of the VT shootings was the son of Michael Bishop, author of The Secret Ascension, or Philip K. Dick Is Dead, Alas.

3. Notes for a list: Songs that mention other songs—

Lying on the floor just playing my guitar
Trying to find the chords to "Just the Way You Are"
—Fountains of Wayne, "Peace and Love"

And I heard another one yesterday...it will come back to me.

4. Best bank music: The other day, at a Citibank on 86th, the Decemberist's "O Valencia" was followed by Aztec Camera's "Oblivious." This was somehow exciting. Then on a TV commercial for—some sort of vehicle?—I heard a line from a Jam song ("What you see* is what you get"). This was somehow depressing. (Apple should have used it in the early days of Mac!)

5. Over at the NYT's Education Life, Dizzyhead Christine has a short bit about the things people throw in the air at graduation. Ouch!


(Photo taken at Eslite Bookstore, Taipei, Taiwan)

*UPDATE: As Arlo points out, it's "what you give is what you get," from "Start!" (Sorry, Apple!)