Book Launch, Viewing Party, and Cool Upcoming Events!

The last couple of weeks have been crazy and exciting, largely thanks to my uber-cool PR wizard, Stephanie DeLuca.

We'll launch the book on release day, January 7th, at Enigma Bookstore in Astoria (Queens / NYC), where we'll also hold a super-groovy viewing party for the Intelligence pilot, which premiers that night at 9 PM on CBS. Enigma seems really cool, and I can't wait for the party, which should be an absolute blast. As soon as I have more details, I'll share them here and on the Facebook.

Around that same time, I'll be holding a local launch with the excellent Chester County Book Company, a longtime haunt of mine. We're hammering out the details now, and I'll share those soon.

Speaking of old haunts, on Saturday, January 18th, I'll be returning to Penn State / State College for an event at the amazing Webster's Bookstore Café. That one will kick off at 2 PM. Can't wait!

I'm also excited to appear at ALA Midwinter's Pop Top Stage. I'm slate for an 11 AM reading / discussion / Q&A, with a signing to follow.

Can't tell you how excited I am to be lining up events at all of these awesome places. It's getting real, my friends!

Meanwhile, we're finalizing arrangements with other spots, and the Philadelphia Writers' Group just invited me to speak at one of their upcoming meetings. Great, great, great.

So happy to share this excellent news with you, and I do hope to see a bunch of you!

INTELLIGENCE on IMDb

So cool... INTELLIGENCE is currently featured on the main page of IMDb.

Thanks to friend and excellent writer Peter Clines for the heads-up and for providing this screenshot:

Samuel R. Delaney Named 2013 Damon Knight Grand Memorial Grand Master

SFWA has named Samuel R. Delaney as the 2013 Damon Knight Grand Memorial Grand Master. This pleases me, as does the intelligent, charismatic writer's response:

"This award astonishes me, humbles me, and I am honored by it. It recalls to me–with the awareness of mortality age ushers up–the extraordinary writers who did not live to receive it: Roger Zelazny, Joanna Russ, Thomas M. Disch, Octavia E. Butler–as well, from the generation before me, Katherine MacLean, very much alive. I accept the award for them, too: they are the stellar practitioners without whom my own work, dim enough, would have been still dimmer. ~Samuel R. Delany"

Publishers Weekly Reviews PHOENIX ISLAND!

Thanksgiving weekend played out as a prototype to how I'll live if I ever hit the lottery: family, friends, and food. I unplugged from the web, took a couple days off from writing, caught up on reading, put up Christmas decorations, etc... great stuff.

It was back to business with a bang today, as I booted up the computer and boom -- an email from my agent, headed "PW -- Another Stellar Review!"

You have to love a review that starts out with "An unusual premise makes Dixon’s thriller debut a welcome series kickoff" and concludes with "...the pacing and smooth prose will have suspense fans waiting for the next book, as well as the upcoming CBS adaptation, Intelligence."

To read the rest of it, go here.

It's so cool to see Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and book-loving bloggers reading and enjoying Phoenix Island. Thanks so much, reviewers, for taking a chance on my story!

Kirkus Reviews: PHOENIX ISLAND Is "A Fast-paced, Exciting Novel..."

Huzzah!

I am over-the-top excited to learn that the famously discerning Kirkus Reviews has given Phoenix Island its coveted stamp of approval. In a glowing review that left me reeling with Thanksgiving-worthy gratitude, Kirkus writes, "Dixon's page-turner will keep readers of all ages enthralled. A fast-paced, exciting novel with the promise of future installments."

To read the rest of this amazing review, go here or look for the print version in the December 15th edition of Kirkus Reviews.

300: Rise of an Empire!

So maybe I'm the last to hear this fantastic news, but after several years, Legendary is finally bringing us a follow-up to one of my favorite movies of all time, 300.

I've done no research on this, but based on the trailer, it looks like 300: Rise of Empire will focus on the Battle of Salamis, when the Athenians destroyed the Persian navy and in large part saved Greece and, one could argue, Western civilization as we know it.

If I'm right, I'll miss the focus on Sparta -- and again, I might be wrong about the movie; I'm just looking at a two-and-a-half-minute trailer and drawing conclusions from my own spotty if enthusiastic knowledge of ancient history -- but I have to say I'm pleased that they're following the gist of actual history and giving the Battle of Salamis the Zack Snyder treatment.

Not that I'm hoping for a documentary. Quite the opposite, in fact. One of the things I love about 300 is that it's entertainment on steroids, eye candy, style over content, etc..., a film that glorifies an interesting and significant piece of history by juicing up a narrative and making it fun. I'm hoping 300: Rise of Empire does something similar, and that in its wake, I dive enthusiastically into the real history of the battle, my interest in ancient Greece once again stoked white-hot by two hours of flat-out fun.

Anyway, here's the trailer. It looks incredible....

Magnus Carlsen Wins the World Chess Championship!

In what's being called the most one-sided match in modern history, Magnus Carlsen has at long last captured the world chess championship. The fact that, at 22 years of age, Magnus is the second-youngest champ in history (behind Kasparov), the phrase "at long last" might seem nonsensical, but chess fans worldwide have been waiting for this moment for what seems an eternity.

I first heard about the brilliant Norwegian several years ago. When, in 2008 or 2009, I started finding his games online and playing them out, I was absolutely blown away. He made seemingly crazy moves, then came thundering back, revealing his cunning brilliance. To my admittedly weak chess eyes, he was the most exciting chess player since Bobby Fischer.

I am ridiculously excited about his victory. I wish him a long and fruitful reign. Long live the king!

For more on the match, go here.