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Praise for the
Milkweed Triptych
"A major talent... I can't wait to see more."
—George R. R. Martin
"Mad English warlocks battling twisted Nazi psychics? Yes please, thank you. Tregillis's debut has a white-knuckle plot, beautiful descriptions, and complex characters-- an unstoppable Vickers of a novel."
—Cory Doctorow on Bitter Seeds
"Ian Tregillis triumphantly concludes his astonishing, brilliant, pulse-pounding debut trilogy, The Milkweed Triptych."
—Cory Doctorow on Necessary Evil
"Tregillis' conclusion of the Milkweed Triptych is the pièce de résistance of the series. Necessary Evil is a perfect marriage of science fiction, fantasy and alternate history."
—RT Book Reviews (4.5 stars, Top Pick) on Necessary Evil
"Darkly fascinating…A thoroughly fascinating conclusion to an imaginative tour de force."
—Kirkus on Necessary Evil
"A cross between the devious, character-driven spy fiction of early John le Carré and the mad science fantasy of the X-Men... Despite the jaw-dropping backdrop and oblique plotting, the narrative is driven by character and personal circumstance...
Grim indeed, yet eloquent and utterly compelling."
Grim indeed, yet eloquent and utterly compelling."
—Kirkus on The Coldest War
"The characters come alive via [Tregillis's] imaginative dialogue and his storyline will keep readers spellbound and on the edge of their seats with an intense sci-fi/alternate history thriller plot."
—RT Book Reviews (4.5 stars, Top Pick) on The Coldest War
"Well-drawn characters and a feel for time and place make this an excellent journey into an alternate Britain."
—Library Journal on Bitter Seeds
"Engrossing... Tregillis ably mixes cold war paranoia with his mythology."
—Publishers Weekly on The Coldest War
Close
Confusing Parking Signs: A Report From the Trenches
Recent Blog Entries:
The End: NECESSARY EVIL Is Out! - 5/1/2013, 10:29 AM Because I Haven't Posted About tDCS In A While - 4/8/2013, 04:07 PM Announcing the NECESSARY EVIL Signing Tour - 4/5/2013, 05:15 PM Nuclear Deterrence in a Blood Magic World - 2/22/2013, 09:41 AM Guest Post #2 at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/17/2013, 04:41 PM Guest Post at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/15/2013, 09:17 PM A Conversation with Charlie Stross - 2/8/2013, 11:06 AM NOW OUT in the UK: THE COLDEST WAR - 2/7/2013, 12:22 AM Clarion Is Accepting Applications for the Class of 2013 - 1/27/2013, 06:38 PM Holy Smokes! Cover Art for Something More Than Night - 1/23/2013, 09:44 PM
Show all blog entries
The End: NECESSARY EVIL Is Out! - 5/1/2013, 10:29 AM Because I Haven't Posted About tDCS In A While - 4/8/2013, 04:07 PM Announcing the NECESSARY EVIL Signing Tour - 4/5/2013, 05:15 PM Nuclear Deterrence in a Blood Magic World - 2/22/2013, 09:41 AM Guest Post #2 at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/17/2013, 04:41 PM Guest Post at Charlie Stross's Blog - 2/15/2013, 09:17 PM A Conversation with Charlie Stross - 2/8/2013, 11:06 AM NOW OUT in the UK: THE COLDEST WAR - 2/7/2013, 12:22 AM Clarion Is Accepting Applications for the Class of 2013 - 1/27/2013, 06:38 PM Holy Smokes! Cover Art for Something More Than Night - 1/23/2013, 09:44 PM
Show all blog entries
Monday, September 19 2011, 07:16 PM
World traveler and blog reader Dawn S. sent me the following photograph, which she and her husband took on a street in Beijing, China.
Dawn says it means, "No exploding cars." But I beg to differ.
I note that the red line passes through the car but not through the explosion. So I interpret this sign to mean that explosions and/or candles are OK, as long as they aren't on or near cars. Which makes sense, given there's a line of parked cars beneath the sign. If you were reading that sign, it would ruin your day if those cars spontaneously erupted in flame.
Well, okay. I don't know what this means, but I'm really curious. Can sombody decipher it for me? It's probably something that will be obvious in retrospect, but in the meantime it's fun to speculate.
There are other possibilities. Maybe the message is, "You cannot park your car here if it is on fire." Which is an extremely reasonable parking policy.
Comments (12)
Signs of the Infocollapse -
Scott Denning, Monday, September 19 2011, 11:04 PM
Some symbols just aren't universal. I recall, when the 1980 Summer Olympics were hosted in Russia, the local paper shared several dozen of the "universal" information symbols the Russkies had come up with to help visitors. About half a dozen made sense at first glance, the rest were WTF?
Here's a collection of some fun/wacky/confusing signs: http://www.leaderpost.com/travel/Photos+Weird+confusing+pointless+worst+signs+around+world/5408008/story.html
But the all-time classics, the ones that still make me burst out laughing no matter how often I see them, are these re-captions of REAL informational images put out by Homeland Security. No foolin' -- these are real images with a very high WTF factor, reflected in the parody captions. http://www.safenow.org/
Some symbols just aren't universal. I recall, when the 1980 Summer Olympics were hosted in Russia, the local paper shared several dozen of the "universal" information symbols the Russkies had come up with to help visitors. About half a dozen made sense at first glance, the rest were WTF?
Here's a collection of some fun/wacky/confusing signs: http://www.leaderpost.com/travel/Photos+Weird+confusing+pointless+worst+signs+around+world/5408008/story.html
But the all-time classics, the ones that still make me burst out laughing no matter how often I see them, are these re-captions of REAL informational images put out by Homeland Security. No foolin' -- these are real images with a very high WTF factor, reflected in the parody captions. http://www.safenow.org/
Closer view -
Steve Halter, Tuesday, September 20 2011, 08:55 AM
Here is a link to a closer view of the sign:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hiddenninjaskills/4146620077/
In this, it is clear that the red line passes behind both the car and the explosion. Apparently Chinese cars are transparent through the grill as well as the windows. I guess this could mean that they allow nothing except exploding cars in that area. Clearly the car parked next to the sign is flaunting the law.
I've got to give this one the Most Hard to Decipher Pictorial Sign award.
Here is a link to a closer view of the sign:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hiddenninjaskills/4146620077/
In this, it is clear that the red line passes behind both the car and the explosion. Apparently Chinese cars are transparent through the grill as well as the windows. I guess this could mean that they allow nothing except exploding cars in that area. Clearly the car parked next to the sign is flaunting the law.
I've got to give this one the Most Hard to Decipher Pictorial Sign award.
re: Signs of the Infocollapse -
Steve Halter, Tuesday, September 20 2011, 11:16 AM
Scott,
The signs and captions at http://www.safenow.org/ are hilarious (in a disturbing way). Seriously, what are these people thinking? Who could interpret these things in some rational manner?
Scott,
The signs and captions at http://www.safenow.org/ are hilarious (in a disturbing way). Seriously, what are these people thinking? Who could interpret these things in some rational manner?
untitled -
DMS, Tuesday, September 20 2011, 08:18 PM
Steve, glad to see I am not the only one who reached so obvious a conclusion on the meaning of that sign. And having just tried to apply my own googlefu to this problem, I find I am not that far off:
http://www.bjjtgl.gov.cn/publish/portal1/tab206/module708/info2353.htm
Steve, glad to see I am not the only one who reached so obvious a conclusion on the meaning of that sign. And having just tried to apply my own googlefu to this problem, I find I am not that far off:
http://www.bjjtgl.gov.cn/publish/portal1/tab206/module708/info2353.htm
Re: Signs of the Infocollapse -
Ian, Tuesday, September 20 2011, 08:57 PM
Both of those collections are brilliant. "Caution: The edges of this sign are sharp!" I think I've seen that one around the lab. As for the Homeland Security signs, seriously, what is the "think carefully while getting sprayed with biotoxins" sign supposed to mean?
Both of those collections are brilliant. "Caution: The edges of this sign are sharp!" I think I've seen that one around the lab. As for the Homeland Security signs, seriously, what is the "think carefully while getting sprayed with biotoxins" sign supposed to mean?
Re: Closer view -
Ian, Tuesday, September 20 2011, 09:04 PM
Now that I can see it up close, I see that my original argument doesn't hold up. It seemed to me that the red line passed behind the fire but in front of the car, thus banning cars but not explosions. But it seems the red line passes behind both of them. So much for my attempt to split hairs!
Maybe you're right. Maybe the ban is on non-exploding cars. In which case I see a lot of tickets waiting to happen in that photo.
Could it mean "No Idling?"
Now that I can see it up close, I see that my original argument doesn't hold up. It seemed to me that the red line passed behind the fire but in front of the car, thus banning cars but not explosions. But it seems the red line passes behind both of them. So much for my attempt to split hairs!
Maybe you're right. Maybe the ban is on non-exploding cars. In which case I see a lot of tickets waiting to happen in that photo.
Could it mean "No Idling?"
untitled -
DMS, Tuesday, September 20 2011, 09:10 PM
Steve, glad to see I am not the only one who reached so obvious a conclusion on the meaning of that sign. And having just tried to apply my own googlefu to this problem, I find I am not that far off: http://www.bjjtgl.gov.cn/publish/portal1/tab206/module708/info2353.htm
Steve, glad to see I am not the only one who reached so obvious a conclusion on the meaning of that sign. And having just tried to apply my own googlefu to this problem, I find I am not that far off: http://www.bjjtgl.gov.cn/publish/portal1/tab206/module708/info2353.htm
Re: untitled -
Ian, Tuesday, September 20 2011, 09:11 PM
I like my explanation better. The world is full of dangerous goods beyond candles and confetti, but the sign doesn't convey that.
It almost looks like it's saying, "No Birthday Parties Allowed in Cars."
I like my explanation better. The world is full of dangerous goods beyond candles and confetti, but the sign doesn't convey that.
It almost looks like it's saying, "No Birthday Parties Allowed in Cars."
untitled -
DMS, Tuesday, September 20 2011, 10:08 PM
How did I manage to post that twice?
And, clearly, it's no birthday parties on top of cars.
How did I manage to post that twice?
And, clearly, it's no birthday parties on top of cars.
Re: untitled -
Steve Halter, Wednesday, September 21 2011, 07:31 AM
DMS: Cool the official interpretation. Of course then one wonders why so many people were carrying dangerous goods in their cars that a sign was needed. And, what the official definition of "dangerous goods" is.
DMS: Cool the official interpretation. Of course then one wonders why so many people were carrying dangerous goods in their cars that a sign was needed. And, what the official definition of "dangerous goods" is.
Re: untitled -
Ian, Wednesday, September 21 2011, 09:23 AM
How did I manage to post that twice?
You didn't. I did it for you. For some reason when I approved your comment it refused to show up, so I reposted it from scratch, and then (apparently, in the middle of the night) the original decided to appear, too.
Of course then one wonders why so many people were carrying dangerous goods in their cars that a sign was needed. And, what the official definition of "dangerous goods" is.
Well, if the dangerous goods include birthday cakes and confetti, then in a country with over a billion people, that's a LOT of birthday parties every day. Some of those are bound to take place on, in, or near cars.
That's my theory.
How did I manage to post that twice?
You didn't. I did it for you. For some reason when I approved your comment it refused to show up, so I reposted it from scratch, and then (apparently, in the middle of the night) the original decided to appear, too.
Of course then one wonders why so many people were carrying dangerous goods in their cars that a sign was needed. And, what the official definition of "dangerous goods" is.
Well, if the dangerous goods include birthday cakes and confetti, then in a country with over a billion people, that's a LOT of birthday parties every day. Some of those are bound to take place on, in, or near cars.
That's my theory.
Re: untitled -
Steve Halter, Wednesday, September 21 2011, 02:31 PM
Ian, I think you've got it nailed. Clearly an ancient cabal of birthday cake smugglers is at work in China.
Ian, I think you've got it nailed. Clearly an ancient cabal of birthday cake smugglers is at work in China.
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Unwalkers interview [English | French ]
Interview with Speculate! Podcast Interview with Adventures in SciFi Publishing
Ian Tregillis on the Sword and Laser Podcast
Ian Tregillis on John Scalzi's The Big Idea
Interview with Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Interview with SFRevu
Interview with Mad Hatter Book Review
Interview with Apex Books
Interview at Literary Musings Interview with Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
An interview with the authors of Busted Flush at Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Interview with Travis Heermann at The Write Line
9-way interview with the contributors to the Wild Cards novel Inside Straight at Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Interview in the February, 2008 newsletter of the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
An extended interview with Ian Tregillis by Ty Franck, on www.wildcardsbooks.com.