We Write!
I have managed to get the paperback of Cloud-Castles up (the text is a link on which I get a few pennies of commission. I was going to hold back on announcing it until I had my author copies in hand and could check that they were all right, but I got some dear soul... Continue Reading →
'The walrus said, to speak of many things, of shoes, of ships, of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings...' It is entirely possible to confuse the latter two, so it is probably wise to avoid both because regicide is generally considered socially acceptable but regiphagy can give you gas, just like cabbages... eh. forgive me.... Continue Reading →
2021... "Phew. That's gone. The worst year of my adult life and I've had a doozy or two." 2022... "Hold my beer." I'm determined to turn over a new leaf (yes, I know it meant page) this year. The last year one was from a gympie-gympie and had been used in lieu of toilet paper.... Continue Reading →
If you've been a fan of science fiction for any length of time, you know that writers have continually postulated building spaceships in space, rather than on a planet; spaceships that never actually land, but remain in space, sending shuttles, passenger vehicles or lifeboats down to the surface and bringing supplies, cargo and passengers up; ... Continue Reading →
This isn't going to be a post on Toni's life and accomplishments, directly. First of all, I'm not nosy enough to have asked her for that, although I'd love to interview her sometime formally. What it is, is a story of friendship and generosity. Toni is the editor in Chief at Baen Books. Baen is... Continue Reading →
Science fiction is the art of taking what is known and extrapolating it into the future (or past, or space, or other dimensions. Whatever.) And then seeing how humans adapt to it. Space Travel, Computers, Mobile Phones, Satellites. Fiction turned into reality, or close enough. I just reluctantly gave up on my flip phone/Star Trek... Continue Reading →
Earlier this week, I was amused to find that H. P. Lovecraft's horror short story "The Call of Cthulhu" had been rendered in cartoon form, copying the style of Dr. Seuss, by an enterprising artist. An article at Gizmodo discussed the project. Here are a couple of sample pages. The book is... Continue Reading →
A chance mention of F-IW – reference to a book I read when wild fax machines still roamed the earth and people still knew the terrifying scent of Gestetner machine duplicating fluid (on which many a fanzine was produced) brings up today’s post. It’s a reference to ‘Freedom – I won’t' in Eric Frank Russell’s... Continue Reading →
Why do people read fiction? To get away from the present moment, to be entertained, perhaps (depending on the genre and the author) to learn a little, to have an hour or two in a different world. Often, in sci-fi and fantasy, readers want wonder, magic, something amazing. How that wonder comes is based on... Continue Reading →
A friend brought up something I hadn't considered before: damage to the human body incurred while exiting a moving vehicle and what that looks like, for writing purposes. I hadn't really given it much thought before, because reasons. Dorothy Grant was in the same conversation however and she suggested looking at motorcycle accidents, then tied... Continue Reading →
Mad Genius Club 