With Thanksgiving just a couple days away, we at Suvudu have taken a moment to reflect on the many awesome things for which we are thankful this year. Here’s our list…
Video-streaming - I’m not sure when video-streaming (instead of downloading) began on the internet… but it has provided me and many others with hours of entertainment. We no longer have to wait hours, or days even, for our favorite TV shows or movies to download to our computer, and ultimately eat up precious computer memory in the process. Now we can just spontaneously decide to watch an old episode of Lost on ABC.com or Family Guy on Hulu.com and boom… instantaneous satisfaction with limited commercial interruption! And don’t even get me started on the greatness of YouTube. —DavidM
PopCap Games - speaking of hours of entertainment, this publisher has come up with dozens of great software from reinvented pinball games involving squirrels, addictive word games, and even games of garden plants defending your home from brain-eating zombies. Who knew that one company alone could devise some of the greatest puzzle games since Tetris! —DavidM
Libraries - I’m thankful for libraries. I know, I know. You think I’m just saying that as an easy way to shill for the Suvudu Free Library (where you can read the first books in acclaimed science-fiction and fantasy series absolutely free!) but that’s not the (only) reason. It just that it’s occurred to me that most of the books I’ve recently recreationally read (as opposed to those I get to read as part of the job) are ones I found at the local public library. That there’s a building, an institution, that exists to gather all sorts of cool books together, and then lets me get at them practically whenever I want—well, that’s a bit of a sociological and civic miracle.
There are more than 16,000 such miracles across the United States. (And that’s just counting public libraries; add in school and academic libraries and the number swells immensely.) Sometimes, it seems that we only think about our local library when controversy erupts, and although that’s natural, it’s also not quite fair. In essence, all these 16,000+ miracles are places dedicated to nothing less and nothing more than serving their communities by providing access to the world of ideas and the life of the mind. That’s an inspirational calling, noble and glorious work. So, yeah, that’s what I’m thankful for. Thank you, Librarians of America! —Ali
The Timelessness that is Dungeons and Dragons - I hadn’t played in over 10 years, but the fond memories I had “rolling for initiative” always gave me a minute hope that I would get to play again with some folks who also held the game in such high esteem. 
And now, it’s finally happened; we have a Dungeon Master who has created an entire new world, 6 players thirsty for treasure and leveling up, and we’re all wiping the dust off of our dice, character sheets, and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons handbooks. I never forgot how much fun table top role-playing was, but was pretty awestruck with the game’s timelessness. It never gets old and kudos to Gary Gygax for that! —TheHound
China Mieville's THE CITY AND THE CITY - Or just China himself. First genre book I've read since The Diamond Age. Absolutely loved it. Should be placed with 1984 as a dystopian classic. Amazon's #8 best book of the year. I am not alone. --Peter
Vertigo - I'm thankful for Vertigo, because even though I've been reading their comics since I was a wee teenager, they're always adding new one-offs and series that delight me just as much as the old ones did. It's great to see a big comics house still trying new things and looking for new audiences. --Kaitlin
Twitter - I am thankful for Twitter (http://twitter.com/bantamspectra), because it makes my life seem a little more purposeful when I'm at work (despite the fact that I probably get less work done because of it). I will say this, though: the people who follow me (us--I like to think of it as "me," though) are really engaging, love science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, comics, and pop culture in general, and are just plain awesome. 
It's a lot of fun being able to interact with the people who read our books on a day-to-day basis, and considering we've probably killed every major sci-fi and fantasy character through our weekly #fantfights, what more could a grown geek ask for? --DavidP
Robin Furth - Earlier in the year I had the opportunity to meet Robin Furth, who once upon a time was Stephen King's research assistant. She is the person who compiled a Dark Tower compendium so King could finish The Dark Tower. After talking with Robin at length and spending most of the year writing back and forth with her, it has led me to revisit the Dark Tower series, its comic books, and to be excited for the Del Rey comic book adaptation of The Talisman, a book that is connected a bit to The Dark Tower. I have discovered a great community of like-minded fans on one of The Dark Tower forums and it has been a fun year conversing with them. Without Robin, I doubt I would be having as much fun on the internet(s) these days. I am grateful all of your hard work, Robin! --Shawn
Terry Brooks - Undoubtedly, the reason I am able to write for Suvudu and meet the fun writers I do through The Signed Page all begins with Terry Brooks.
He is the author who started my fantasy reading journey when I was 13, more than 20 years ago. If he hadn't taken me on as his official webmaster on October 27, 1999, I doubt I would be doing all of these things that I absolutely love. This year Terry dedicated his newest book, A Princess of Landover, to me. That is extra special and has a special place in my heart. I am thankful for Terry and his wife Judine, who have become great friends and wise advisers. --Shawn
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - I'm thankful for Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Season one now on DVD and season two aires Friday nights on Cartoon Network). Yes, it got off to a horrible start with the movie that was released in August 2008, but the first season grew stronger and stronger as it went along and ended with the introduction of Cad Bane, a bad ass new bounty hunter that looks like an alien version of one of the characters from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Cad Bane is ruthless, cunning, and has no problems playing all sides to his own benefit. He was featured in the opening story arc in the second season and that was followed by a brilliant return to Geonosis invasion episode. There are a few low points (Jar Jar just won't go away), but the these are tolerable if it means we get to see episodes that feature jedi such as Ki Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, Yoda, Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee. Ahsoka Tano, and Kit Fisto (most only got a few seconds of screen time in the movies). StarWars.com offers full episode guides as well as replays for the second season. The Force is with this series. --DarthDuff
Apple - For years I used PCs and for years they crapped out on me. That can be extremely frustrating for a person who works in graphic and web design, who must with every new incarnation transfer a lot of files to the new machine. Six years ago I wised up and bought my first iMac desktop and Powerbook laptop. The iMac died this year finally, almost the same amount of time I had three PC computers in previous years. I now have a brand new iMac that is glorious. The Powerbook is alive and well and still does exactly what it did on the day I got it. That's a long time. If it wasn't for the stability Apple brings and the quality of their products, I wouldn't be able to do my three jobs at the rate I produce them. I am grateful for Apple! --Shawn
Publicists - Authors, agents, and editors all get acknowledgments as driving forces in the book publishing industry, but publicist are unsung heroes. Since I own a book business, I have a lot of communication with publicists and thus far I have not met a bad one. They are all dedicated book-loving people who spend a lot of time ensuring books are publicized online and on the road. In the last year I have dealt with a lot of publicists but David Moench (Del Rey) and Dot Lin (Tor Books) have put up with me and my needs for The Signed Page above and beyond their job descriptions. So this is a thank you to them and a shout out to all publicists who, if they do their job right, they are not seen in the larger tapestry of the industry and yet never get a thank you. I am grateful to all of you! --Shawn
Thanksgiving -- I am happy for turkey, stuffing, time off, family, cool weather, NFL games involving at least one team with silver helmets, pumpkin pie, the drive Upstate, gray water on Lake Ontario, patchwork leaves on the ground, a walk in the woods, and several afternoon naps. Not necessarily in that order. --Schluepidy-schluep
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