CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, a “monk for the modern age” by George Parker, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
On my right, Natasha stops eating the apple she brought from home and
waves my smoke away with one big hand, making pfft pfft pfft noises as
if I’m poisoning her air. —Jean Harfenist, A Brief History of the Flood.
“She practically calls men devils
incarnate. Says women could get along without us, that we should
be put in quarantine and kept away from all women ... Pfft!” He
shot out his hand. —Greg Bear, Darwin’s Radio.
“[You are a] sacrificial lamb.
You are the rider they bring in, bring along too fast, put in too many
big races he’s not ready for or able to ride and then ... pfft.”
He waved a hand absently to the side. “You and the team are
history.” —Greg Moody, Two Wheels: A Cycling Murder Mystery.
In response, there were nons, some ouis, and a choice pfft delivered with upraised palms and heavy-lidded blink. —Nicholas Class, Sheba: Through the Desert in Search of the Legendary Queen.
“Why without swords, eh? It is
clever, this fighting, but on a battlefield...” Kazan drew his
hand across his throat. “Pfft!” —Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel’s Chosen.