Interviews and Errata

I just finished a nice podcast interview with Tony Tellado of Sci-Fi Talk. I thought Tony asked some great questions and the 15 or 20 minutes flew by. It hasn't been posted yet but I'm sure it will be soon. Yesterday I also did an e-mail interview with Comic Book Resources, which, again, hasn't been posted yet but I expect is forthcoming.

The day before that I did a phone interview with Brigid Alverson of Publishers Weekly. I thought that interview was particularly extraordinary because Brigid and I discovered that we shared very similar interests, educations, work histories, life experience, and memories. I hope some of that gets reflected in the interview because it was a pretty cool connection. I'll be sure to mention when it appears.

Shame on Me

Reader Jim has caught my first substantive error in WHTTWOT. I knew it was coming--wouldn't be surprised to learn of more--but am still deeply abashed.

I intend to be completely upfront about corrections and errors, and collect and discuss them here in my blog. It's the scientist/journalist in me; I try to show as much integrity in these things as I can. I also think if I want my book to be taken seriously as a piece of historical fiction despite its graphic novelness (novelty?), I need to document my mistakes. Plus, I can just direct the next person who finds the same mistake to this post.

It still hurts.

On Page 169, my Kid character reflects on the Apollo program and narrates, ". . . the twenty-seven men who'd orbited the Moon on Apollos 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 had traveled as far from home as anyone would for decades." Jim reminded me that three Apollo astronauts--John Young, Jim Lovell, and Gene Cernan--flew to the Moon twice (although no one landed on the Moon twice). Only 24 men made the trip out and back, not 27.

I have no explanation or defense. It was just a brain fart--one of those things I knew but didn't recall when I needed it. As they say in journalism, we regret the error.

But the second edition of this book is gonna be great!
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