Don’t Live For Your Obituary

Sci-fi luminary and generally outspoken fella John Scalzi maintains a terrific blog when he’s not too busy writing New York Times bestsellers and Hugo award-winning stories.

Those blog entries run the gamut from tributes to recently departed writers, political opinion pieces, and random thoughts to solid advice on money management, pride in your work, self-respect, and more. Some pieces are poignant, some are snarky, and some are absolutely hilarious. But what they all have in common? They’re all insightful and unapologetic.

Don’t Live For Your Obituary collects dozens of Scalzi’s blog posts over the years, grouped into loosely thematic sections. And even if you’re not a fan of science fiction, I highly recommend this one. It’s like talking to a very well-informed friend who isn’t afraid to call people “assholes” when they deserve to be called “assholes.”

And for writers, this is an invaluable resource. Scalzi is brutally honest about his own luck and successes, never casting himself as a model of efficiency or style. He’s simply one writer who wants to see other writers doing well. How can you hate on that?