Welcome to Les Pages aux Folles, a collection of satirical writings and comedic doodles. The most recently written articles can be found in the New section; two or three will appear each Sunday. I now also rotate two cartoons (My Toronto and/or Delicate Negotiations); while the latest will appear on this page every Sunday, recent cartoons can be found on the appropriate pages in the New section. Collections of older material (currently numbering 23: 18 books of prose and five of cartoons) appear in the Archive.

WARNING: This Web site contains words, images or concepts that may be offensive to some. While reading, please be sure that your inner child is otherwise engaged.

New

Early Reviews Are In

The first couple of reviews of the third Alternate Reality News Service Book, Luna for the Lunies!, are now in. Eric Swett's review can be found on the My Writer's Cramp Web site. “Ira takes a wickedly dry sense of humor and rips apart the popular culture, politics, and technology of our modern world through a series of satirical articles that range in size from a handful of sentences to pages in length, and believe me when I say that no one and nothing is spared," he wrote. "It is a laughter inducing indictment of our society and I loved it.” Geoff Nelder's review can be found on his blog, science42fiction. "As always, Ira Nayman, crosses my reality threshold at 90 mph and leaves me laughing, thoughtful, inspired and enriched even if no wiser," Geoff wrote. "I strongly recommend his Alternate Reality News Service to readers in all dimensions and universes."

I blush.

Oh, did I mention that it's available in ebook format on Smashwords for 99 cents? Or, that you can buy a paperback copy from Amazon? Get yours now and find out what every one (of the two people who have reviewed it so far) is raving about!

This Week's New Columns

The Daily Me - Jiddu Krishnamurti

France has elected Francoise Hollande, a centre-left President, and other European nations may be considering ousting right wing politicians who support severe austerity measures. Why is the punditariat surprised? Did people really expect European citizens to say to themselves, "I love being out of work and labouring under crippling debt while government programmes that might have been able to help me are being slashed or eliminated entirely. Especially when it benefits multinational corporations and individuals who are already stinking rich. Yes! Yes, I want four more years of that misery!"?

The Donut Whole [ARNS]

Even standing on a chair, the only part of General Alooysius Mayhospidconhem that was visible above the huge pile of garbage bags containing illicit donuts was his manly forehead. It was a strong forehead, a forehead the projected calm in the face of adversity, a forehead that reassured you that justice would prevail. Ultimately, though, it was just a forehead, and it was not capable of communicating all that needed to be said under the circumstances.

Hype Springs Eternal [ARNS]

"It's not every day that you get to experience the miracle of childbirth and Mark Ruffalo's layered, empathetic portrayal of the Hulk!"

Retirement Home to the Stars [ARNS]

The Fendelbraughten of Altair III make odd retirees: they look like nine foot tall Inukshuks in metallic Hawaiian shirts and fire-retardant flip-flops.

ME! ME! ME! ME! ME!

I have done some interviews which you can find on teh Interwebs. The first was for AuthoPublisher: it can be found at http://www.authopublisher.com/ira-nayman-interview/ (WARNING: may contain ineffective marketing ideas!). The second can be found on Zoey's Corner at: http://zoe-harrington.blogspot.ca/2012/03/interview-ira-nayman.html (WARNING: may contain gratuitous fork on food action!). And, as if that weren't enough, check out my interview on Books & Writing at http://www.books-writing.com/interview-with-author-ira-nayman/ (WARNING: may contain childhood reminiscences!).

And, Now, For Something Completely Science Fiction

Ira Nayman completists (and I know that there are at least...three of you out there) might be interested to know that I have been writing a series of short stories that take place in a universe where all matter has become conscious featuring an object psychologist named Antonio Van der Whall. These stories are not available on the Les Pages aux Folles Web site; you can only find them in anthologies or magazines.

To date, four of the stories have been placed. As those of you who have been paying attention will recall, "Escalation is Academic" appeared in an anthology called UnCONventional. "A really Useful Engine" can be found in Even Birds Are Chained To The Sky and Other Tales: The Fine Line Short Story Collection. "If the Mountain Won’t Come to Mohammed" will be published in an anthology called Here Be Monsters 6 in March amd "Thinking is the WORST way to travel" will appear in an anthology called Explorers: Beyond the Horizon soon. Look for announcements about where you can purchase them as I find out.

Days of Future Cons Past

When I mentioned that I have taken a lot of photos at the science fiction conventions I have attended (many more than I have used in my articles on them), my Web Goddess, who is relentless in her pursuit of getting more visual elements on my Web site, suggested I post them to Flickr and link to the resulting albums on the appropriate pages. So, that is what I have done. If you would like to see photos from the 2011 Ad Astra, 2011 Con*Cept, 2011 Polaris or 2011 SFContario science fiction conventions, simply click on the links and look for them at the bottom of the page. If cool costumes and the occasional f&sf celebrity are your thing, you should check them out (especially the Polaris album, which is rather large).

UPDATE: I have added photographs from four more cons which I attended in 2010. If you haven't gotten enough visual con goodness, go to: 2010 Polaris, 2010 Sci Fi on the Rock, 2010 SFContario or 2010 VCon. Happy science fiction new year!

UPDATED UPDATE: Okay, so, like, I was in Boston the weekend of Friday, January 13th to promote the short story anthology UnCONventional at the Arisia science fiction convention. It rocked beyond all rocking of rockingness. The reading was very entertaining and the launch party, which featured a cake with the cover of the book on, was delicious. Uhh, I mean well-attended and lots of tasty goodness. Fun. The, uhh, the cake was pretty good, too. The panels I was on were very well attended and everybody seemed to get a lot out of them. The panels I wasn't on but attended were informative. Then, there were the matters unexpected: the life-sized stormtrooper cake, for example, or the HAL 900 (that is not a misprint).

It was a month's worth of awesome crammed into four days!

I would like to thank Kate Kaynak and Trisha Woodbridge for putting together a wonderful book (unlike many anthologies, where some stories are obvious filler, there isn't a dud in this entire volume) and allowing me to be a part of it. I would also like to thank the other authors whose unique and entertaining visions make this book such a great read. It was...superlative (sorry, but I'm running out of superlatives) to meet those of you who could make the con.

You will find my lighthearted take on the subject in the article Naked and Strangely Lopsided: An Arisia Adventure. At the bottom of the page are almost 150 pictures that I took at the con. Enjoy.

Other Things Worth Knowing

Your Immortality Is Ensured! Sorta... More Or Less...

Ask Amritsar and Ask the Tech Answer Guy, the two advice columns produced by the Alternate Reality News Service, are now a weekly feature of Les Pages aux Folles. I'm not sure how this is going to work out, but it's nice to see the Web site continue to evolve. Now that the advice columns are a regular feature, I need reader input more than ever! If you have a grave concern or a passing wonderment that you think one of our advice columnists can answer, I want to hear from you. Simply submit your own questions to: questions@lespagesauxfolles.ca. It's your shot at immortality! And, it's my chance to fill another 700 word column!

Commentization...Or, Umm, Just Comments Happen

Web Goddess Gisela McKay toiled mightily to make Les Pages aux Folles more user friendly. As a result, what was once gray is now full of colours! (It's kind of like the transformation in The Wizard of Oz, but without the new car smell.) You will also notice that at the bottom of every page is a comment box. This is an experiment in reader input; I expect everybody to play nice.

Les Pages aux Folles Gets Social, baby!

You may have noticed that there are little colourful squares on each page on the Web site. That isn't a cheap way to get more graphics on my pages to please my Web Goddess. Well, not only that. Those graphics are actually links to various social networking and recommendation sites. If you like something you read here, please take a moment and tell people there.

Oh, and I am now on Twitter! If you're not following ARNSProprietor, well, why aren't you?

Alternate Reality News Service News

The Weight of Information: Episode One: The Realities Leak is now available on YouTube! This pilot for a radio series is based on stories out of the two Alternate Reality News Service Books, Alternate Reality Ain't What It Used To Be and What Were Once Miracles Are Now Children's Toys (or, as one online used bookstore has it, What Were Once Miracles Are Now Children - don't ask). Click on this link to listen to Part One and this link to listen to Part Two. Interdimensional travel has never been so...multidimensional!

ALSO: To celebrate the publication of What Were Once Miracles Are Now Children's Toys, the second Alternate Reality News Service book in print, I have created A Book Trailer Called "Book Trailer". It is four minutes and 12 seconds of...well, I'm not sure what, to be honest with you. Enjoy.

To download brief clips from The Weight of Information: Episode One: The Realities Leak, right click here and choose "save link as" or right click here and choose "save link as". To download previous weeks' clips from the show right click here and choose "save link as" or right click here and choose "save link as" or right click here and choose "save link as" or right click here and choose "save link as" or right click here and choose "save link as" or right click here and choose "save link as". Need I remind you that they are brief?

Other...Other Stuff

Les Pages aux Folles has a *STORE* where you can buy *MERCHANDISE*! (Sorry, I don't deal in "Merch:" it rhymes with Lurch, and that brings up childhood memories that are best left buried.) Because nothing says you love your readers more than trying to sell them something! Check it out!

As always, all praise to Gisela McKay of Pixcode for her assistance with Les Pages aux Folles since its inception. Not only has she donated space on her server for me to park the Web site, but she has withstood an onslaught of newbie questions that would have made a lesser woman run away screaming (not an uncommon reaction to me, I must admit). This Web site would not have been possible without her. Gisela is, truly, a tech goddess.

All material on this Web site is (c) copyright by Ira Nayman. For more on this fascinating subject, go to the Les Pages aux Folles Legal page.

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