| Christian SF and Fantasy Blog Tour: AURALIA'S COLORS |
[23 Jan 2008|11:17pm] |
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"The late John Gardner said that a good story should unfold like a vivid and continuous dream. With Auralia's Colors, Jeffrey Overstreet has crafted just such a story, one that will leave readers ready to dream with him again."
- John Wilson, Editor, Books & Culture
 The focus of the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour this first month of a new year is AURALIA'S COLORS, a novel by Jeffrey Overstreet, the first in a series called AURALIA'S THREAD.
The novel has been getting some great reviews from various places, including fellow tourmates. The Happy Catholic reviewed it back in September with this to say:
Author Jeffrey Overstreet gives credit to many recognized great authors for being his inspiration but I think it is fair to say that this is not derivative. He has crafted something completely new that shows us those old realities of which we all need to be reminded through art. Probably my highest tribute is to say that this book can be enjoyed by everyone, whether simply lovers of fiction or those who look for, as Overstreet says, "a glimmer of his [the Great Artist] glory in these pages." I eagerly look forward to the next installment of this trilogy.
So, who wrote this book getting great word of...blog?
Behold the author:
JEFFREY OVERSTREET first read "The Hobbit" at age 7, and by age 10 he had read "The Lord of the Rings" several times. And he knew he wanted to grow up to write fantasy stories. Soon after meeting and interviewing the cast and crew of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (on assignment for ChristianityTodayMovies.com), he was offered his first publishing contract...
 Jeffrey will hold a reading on January 31 at Seattle-Pacific. If you're in the area, drop by. You can also run into him at the Calvin Festival of Faith & Writing.
And, if you want a shot at a free copy of one of the following books in the series, suggest a name for one of the dread characters. If yours is chosen, the book is yours.
As for how to pronounce the heroine's name and what's next in the series begun by AURALIA'S COLORS:
FD: Can you give us a teaser about the next novel in The Auralia Thread, Cyndere's Midnight?
JO: Well, the series is called The Auralia Thread, and in the second, third, and fourth book we will get glimpses of life within the other cultures of the Expanse. And we'll see how Auralia's imaginative art continues to influence those who discover it.
The second book, Cyndere's Midnight, is about a creature called a "beastman" who discovers Auralia's colors. When he finds himself "stuck," so to speak, in the company of a grieving widow named Cyndere, a very unstable friendship develops. Meanwhile, the people of House Abascar are in trouble once again, and their survival depends on what happens between Cyndere and the beastman.
Oh, and in case anybody asks, "Cyndere" is pronounced like the word "cinder." And "Auralia" is pronounced "o-RAY-lee-uh."
Read an excerpt from the novel HERE.
See a map of The Expanse here.
Visit my tourmates:
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Pamela Morrisson
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise
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| WAYFARER'S JOURNAL: Christian SF and Fantasy Blog Tour |
[19 Dec 2007|03:03pm] |
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No fantasy on this tour. It's all about the science fiction. That's because this month we focus on Wayfarer’s Journal, a site with this stated purpose:
Our mission is to develop a venue to publish and review science fiction with a spiritual dimension. Now, that doesn't mean that the fiction will be "message" oriented. I'm a big believer in the old adage, "If you want to send a message call Western Union." What you will find here are good stories with strong characters and engaging plots. However, some of the characters may have a spiritual world view and some of the plots may take place at the intersection of the scientific and the numinous.
I was not wowed by the two offerings in the poetry section. But then, it's a new magazine, and probably doesn't have the volume of subs for poetry that established mags, especially secular ones, have. In time, I hope to see improvement, as I hold a big, big soft spot for SF poetry, along with a desire to find new and good Christian SF poetry. I will say that there are moments in Terri Main's poem "A Prayer Under A Strange Sun" that offer good images and emotional tugs, especially since I share the expectations of the narrator. Of the two up for you to read, Terri's is the more successful poem.
Terri happens to be no ordinary contributor, but also editor-in-chief of Wayfarer’s Journal . Now, you know. :)
Because my eyes are still healing, and I now have to use reading glasses--a pair I ordered haven't arrived--I have not been able yet to read except for brief moments at a time. (And imagine how that feels to a bookworm! It's AGONY!) So, besides the poetry, I sampled only two stories from the latest issue. The first was a brief one called "Changed Minds" by a familiar name, Alice Roelke. The concept is reminiscent of some classic SF tales and of Twilight Zone episodes (where people try to extend life by less than ethical means, where there is an obsession with beauty), as well as referencing back to the Beauty and the Beast tale. However, the story needed more depth to succeed. The ending feels abrupt and without sufficient foundation, and the characterization's too sketchy. And yet, it does give that nostalgia factor. Come on, who didn't love TZ and B&B?
Stoney Setzer, another familiar name to those who have read DEP publications, offers a story that takes on the idea of fear, aptly titled--especially for a science fiction novel set out there on a Martian moon--"Phobos." This is marred early on by As You Know, Bob and later by unintentinally comical dialogue. (Example: "Aiieee" and "AARGH." The latter I don't expect to see as an actual distressed sound coming from a human being.) I'd have preferred to see snapshots or other presentations of the actually outworking of the phobias. Still, it's a solid SF premise, that of facing our deepest fears, especially when that there is a civilization that can use those fears against us via special abilities. What can one trust? What can one believe? When will one succumb? Is autophobia your big fear? Stoney offers considerable conflict and a setting that space-oriented SF afficionados will enjoy.
Please drop by the magazine and read some of what's published. If you love it, let Terri know, so that she can get an idea of what readers want more of--or less of.
And be aware that Terri is moving away from the usual "issue" model:
One plan I have right now is to move away from the "magazine" model of a story site. This model is one which has "issues" coming out at a set interval. One of the advantages of the web is that you can update a site at any time. We get enough material to be adding some new material every month, but not enough to create a whole new issue. Simply updating the site when something new and interesting comes in would create a dynamically changing destination on the web. It would also shorten the time for writers between acceptance and publication of their work.
For those of you wishing to submit your creative work, the author guidelines for Wayfarer’s Journal may be found HERE. This is a modestly paying market--but hey, money. Money's good!
I wish Terri and WAYFARER'S JOURNAL plenty of great subs and long may she publish. It's always good to see another paying venue for Christian SF, no matter how modestly, and hey, I've volunteered and still do at modestly paying venues. I dream of the day our CSF mags/sites will be able to pay well and publish better and better and..the BEST!
Participants:
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Michael Heald
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Rachel Marks
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
James Somers
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise
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| CSFF Blog Tour Continues: Lawhead, HOOD, SCARLET, Reviews, and a Music Giveaway |
[28 Nov 2007|07:29pm] |
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 Sorry to spaz out yesterday, but I had stomach woes and urinary woes, and I got a bit out of sorts.
So, this will be longish to make up. (Stay tuned to the end to find out how to enter the giveaway for the MUSIC inspired by these novels.)
~~
So, on to Robin Hood and Will Scarlet, the folkloric figures that inspired Mr. Lawhead's KING RAVEN TRILOGY novels: HOOD and SCARLET.
Who doesn't have some inkling of the Robin Hood tales? The story is so widespread in our culture. There's even a show currently on cable tv's BBC-AMERICA, yet another dramatisation of the story of Robin and his "Merry Men" and their battles with the bad Sheriff and Sir Guy.
 How did this folklore develop?
It seems as though every schoolchild knows who Robin Hood is: a noble outlaw in Sherwood Forest who fights the oppressive evil of Prince (or King) John by robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. The earliest appearances of Robin are at odds with this romantic notion, as Robin is a violent yeoman who steals from the dishonest and helps those whom he pleases. Perhaps the one constant feature of the legend is his placement in the center of England, in the Sherwood and Barnsdale area. This first case presents some of the venues in which Robin Hood appears. The earliest tales of Robin Hood largely focus on Robin encountering someone in the forest, and either fighting with them or inviting them to dine, after which they would be asked to pay for their dinner. These tales were often collected in books called “garlands” (see the first text in this case). During the Tudor period, Robin was gentrified by Anthony Munday, in his two plays The Downfall of Robert, Earle of Huntington and The Death of Robert, Earle of Huntington (both 1601). Today, most people first encounter Robin through films or children’s books, like Howard Pyle’s work. --Read the rest of "Robin Hood: Development of a Popular Hero."
 It was probably inevitable that Robin would morph, even as fairy tales have morphed from their devastatingly dark and violent origins into friendlier, gentler, more likable Disneyfied fare. We want the hero to be good and noble, much better than the villain, and we change him (or her) to be what we want, suitable often for children we wish to keep away from shady reality.
At the end of the above-mentioned article, you find a reference to our blog tour subject:
Lawhead attempts to historicize the tale and adds a spiritual element to Robin Hood by placing his novel in Wales during the reign of William II (Rufus, 1087–1100). He spent much of his reign extorting money from his subjects and the church in an effort to wrest Normandy from his elder brother; this situation resonates with the modern idea of (Prince) John raising taxes to ransom Richard I (1189–99) or simply for his own purposes when king (1099–1216). An unpopular king, William also continued his father’s attempts to take Wales by granting its land to his barons. In Lawhead’s book, Robin is one of the dispossessed Welsh nobles who fights back.]
In adding spirituality, Lawhead merely returns to where Robin has been. Read this excerpt from one of the earliest texts on the Robin myth, A GEST OF ROBYN HODE:
"A gode maner than had Robyn;
In londe where that he were,
Every day or he wold dyne
Thre messis wolde he here.
The one in the worship of the Fader,
And another of the Holy Gost,
The thirde of Our dere Lady,
That he loved allther moste."
That's a lot of masses. That's a devout hero!
Now, since the trilogy features the Robin character (King Raven) and Will Scarlet (with a name variant), let's see how these kinsmen meet, from "Robin and Will Scarlet," another old ballad based on the folklore:
"I met with a stranger," quoth Robin Hood then,
"Full sore he hath beaten me."
"Then I'le have a bout with him," quoth Little John,
"And try if he can beat me."
"Oh, oh, no," quoth Robin Hood then,
"Little John, it may be so;
For he's my own dear sisters son,
And cousins I have no mo.
"But he shal be a bold yeoman of mine,
My chief man next to thee,
And I Robin Hood and thou Little John,
And Scarlet he shall be,
"And wee'l be three of the bravest outlaws
That is in the North Country."
If you will have any more of bold Robin Hood,
In his second part it will be.
 Alfred, Lord Tennyson also dived into the lore with his play "The Foresters." I particularly like how he SHOWS (Act I; Scene III) the personality--the humor, the rascal quality--of Will Scarlet:
Robin.
Let be the 'Earl.' Henceforth I am no more
Than plain man to plain man.
Tuck.
Well, then, plain man,
There be good fellows there in merry Sherwood
That hold by Richard, tho' they kill his deer.
Robin.
In Sherwood Forest. I have heard of them.
Have they no leader?
Tuck.
Each man for his own.
Be thou their leader, and they will all of them
Swarm to thy voice like bees to the brass pan.
Robin.
They hold by Richard--the wild wood! to cast
All threadbare household habit, mix with all
The lusty life of wood and underwood,
Hawk, buzzard, jay, the mavis and the merle,
The tawny squirrel vaulting thro' the boughs,
The deer, the highback'd polecat, the wild boar,
The burrowing badger--by Saint Nicholas,
I have a sudden passion for the wild wood--
We should be free as air in the wild wood--
What say you? shall we go? Your hands, your hands!
[Gives his hand to each. You, Scarlet, you are always moody here.
 Scarlet.
'T is for no lack of love to you, my lord,
But lack of happiness in a blatant wife.
She broke my head on Tuesday with a dish.
I would have thwack'd the woman, but I did not,
Because thou sayest such fine things of women,
But I shall have to thwack her if I stay.
Robin.
Would it be better for thee in the wood?
Scarlet.
Ay, so she did not follow me to the wood.
Robin.
Then, Scarlet, thou at least wilt go with me.
~~~
How has Lawhead's new vision of the Robin Hood story gone over?
Well, it isn't unanimous. I've seen divergent reviews. From very low scores, calling it plodding and overly full of description and historical detail. And I've seen gushing praise, calling it thoroughly entertaining and great fun. So, how you enjoy it may depend on what you're looking for (or not) in a new take on an old tale.
Here are examples of the reviews:
A critical that gives it a lowish rating, but also offers nifty observations and quotes--and therefore is worth reading--is at Inchoatus.com Here is one of the things I enjoyed in that review:
One interesting point is this notion of the deadly sin of wrath that Bran exhibits at times. He literally becomes confused and blinded by rage. The Robin Hood of contemporary myth is a rake and a rogue. He is the James Bond with the quip and the Hannibal Smith of the A-Team with his regard for personal profit. There is no Wrath in these characters just as there is seldom Wrath in Robin Hood. But what causes Robin Hood to be Robin Hood? A man who is willing to "rage against the machine" even if it just taxes and he does it with a wink of the eye as he does in these legends certainly bespeaks a kind of fury that is buried deep beneath the surface and never dies. While our Bran in this book is certainly justified in being angry over the loss of his birthright--a tired plot device--how that wrath infects and reinterprets the legend is a fine achievement.
Another interesting effect is how Christianity is used. As some of the critics mentioned above, each "side" uses it to justify their actions. But it's more than that. Particularly courageous for this author who publishes on Christian themes and using a Christian publisher, he shows how religion--at least organized religion--becomes merely another political tool to be used for oppression, for gain, and for dim justification for raiding, for taking, and for the general acquisition of more power. Just like the conquistadors of Spain ravaging the new world for Glory, God, and Gold so we see the Normans invading for very similar reasons under the guise of God. Opposing this corruption of the Holy Church is only the heathenish magic of the Welsh (though doubtless will ultimately be revealed as the same source). Can Christians cheer for the pagans?
From Grasping For the Wind, a positive review:
The novel is well-written; it is fast paced, with excellent fight scenes, and makes a good lunch hour read with its short chapters and varying perspectives. Odo provides a surprising character and interesting plot twist that makes this book even more fun to read. And of course, this is still the legend of Robin Hood, even if the setting is different, so many of the adventures are in the vein that fans of the Robin Hood legend have come to expect. Arrow flights abound, close shaves are common, and brazen acts of valor are to be expected.
Scarlet makes for a good read, although it is not Lawhead's best work. Fans of Robin Hood will enjoy Lawhead's unique take on the legend, as well as his commitment to historical accuracy. Fans of fantasy will question the novel's fantasy label, as well they should. But there is an element of magic in the person of Angharad and in the strange King Raven that Bran becomes when on a sortie, so the fantasy fan will not be disappointed. Fans of historical novels of medieval times will find much to love in both Hood and Scarlet, and Lawhead devotees (such as myself) are going to find all of the same things they have always loved about Lawhead's writing in Scarlet. This is a novel worth your time. The legend of Robin Hood is brought closer to its historical truth, and given an added Celtic flair that only Stephen Lawhead can provide.
~~
Of religious interest, there's a saint with a serious Robin Hood vibe,
St. BASIL:
Originally an apprentice shoemaker in Moscow, he adopted an eccentric lifestyle of shoplifting and giving to the poor to shame the miserly and help those in need. He went naked and weighed himself down with chains. He rebuked Ivan the Terrible for not paying attention in church, and especially for his violent behaviour towards the innocent.
When he died on August 2, 1552 or 1557, St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, served his funeral with many clergy. Ivan the Terrible himself acted as pallbearer and carried his coffin to the cemetery. He is buried in St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, which was commissioned by Ivan and is named after the saint. Basil was formally canonised around 1580. His feast day is celebrated on August 2.
~~
THE GIVEAWAY:
Yes, I decided that, in the giving Spirit of Christmas, I will have a giveaway. Not of the books--I'm sure someone on the tour is giving some away. Check the links. I'll be giving away one of the cds based on the King Raven Trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead.
The music is by a Christian musician who has found much inspiration in the works of Mr. Lawhead: Jeff Johnson.
Many years back, I acquired, when it first came out, Johnson's first SONG OF ALBION album. I never finished the Lawhead books which inspired those soundscapes, but I still have the cassette somewhere in my chaos.
This week, I acquired both of the KING RAVEN cds that are out. You now have a chance to win one.
How to enter/rules:
1. See my sidebar note. I'm only accepting entries from folks in the 48 contiguous states. Why? Cause that saves me on shipping via amazon.com. That's it. It's all about the budget. Sorry.
2. What you gotta do: Blog about Scarlet, and use the url we've been using during this tour to promote it. You don't have to be a member of the CSFF Blog Tour. But you need to have a blog, and you need to post something about SCARLET (and HOOD, too, if you wish) at some point during THIS week (which ends Saturday). It can be a one sentence post, as long as it contains a link to the amazon url that we use to promote the novel. This is the url for SCARLET:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595540865
If you have a thing against amazon, a link to Mr. Lawhead's official site counts as an acceptable substitution in such a case.
3. Post a comment UNDER THIS BLOG ENTRY with the url/link to where you mention Scarlet ON YOUR BLOG.
4. Check back next week. I will choose a winner based on a random selection. I will need your name and address IF you are the winner in order to send the cd to you.
Rules Recap: 1. live in the lower 48 states. 2. Blog with the Scarlet url. 3. Comment here with a url/link to your qualifying blog post. 3. Wait for me to choose a winner next week.
(If you are a member of the tour, your CSFF Blog Tour posts count, as long as you fit the above rules with regard to location, posted urls, and comment to this post.)
This post is oberlong, so please refer to my Monday post for the list of tourmates. Visit them. See what they have to say.
Happy reading! (And listening!)
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| Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour: Lawhead's SCARLET |
[26 Nov 2007|06:32pm] |
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Well, I and hubby have been searching the house for over a week, looking for my copy of HOOD , the first book in the KING RAVEN TRILOGY by Stephen Lawhead.
Why?
Because today begins the three-day tour for SCARLET, the second book in the trilogy.
I wasn't about to buy and read the second when I can't find the first, which I already bought. YEESH.
So, here I am. I haven't read HOOD (which, I BOUGHT months ago!) or SCARLET. But, that's never stopped me from blogging on a book tour before. After all, this is about promoting and publicizing, not just reviewing or critiquing.
For fans of Christian fantasy, Stephen Lawhead needs no introduction. Even if you have never read any of his books--TALIESIN, BYZANTIUM, SONG OF ALBION trilogy, MERLIN, ARTHUR, etc--you must have come across the author's name. If you regularly scan the bookshelves in the fantasy section of megastores, you must have come across several of his titles. He's always there. At least, in my experience.
I hesitated before buying HOOD. I'm kind of burnt out on Robin Hood tales. I was never a huge fan of them, anyway, despite enjoying the Errol Flynn/Olivia de Haviland match-up as a kid; despite Sean C and Audrey H in Robin and Marian; despite the cool Clannad soundtrack for the television import with a really handsome dark-haired Robin from, oh, back in the '80s. (Everybody sing: "Robin...the hooded man!");despite the magnificent Morgan Freeman stealing the whole show from Kevin "I can't keep an English accent going for more than two syllables" Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. No. I'm just not a Robin Hood sorta gal.
But you might be. So, pay attention during the tour. Visit the sites. Buy the book, if you think it's up your alley.
Here's a snapshot of each novel:
HOOD, : In Book One of The King Raven Trilogy, Bran ap Brychan finds his world ripped from its foundation as invaders topple his father's kingdom and send the young prince fleeing into the forest. Readers will be spellbound with this entirely fresh take on this legendary figure--where the familiar and unexpected collide into something wholly original.
From the ashes of ruin, a reluctant hero begins to emerge . . . yet his greatest enemy may be himself.
Read an excerpt from HOOD.
SCARLET: The second installment of a completely re-imagined epic of the man known as Robin Hood--told in a far more eerie, earthy, and elemental way than ever before.
As the story of King Raven continues, the stakes grow ever higher and the lives of Bran's band hang ever more in the balance. Will Scarlet is about to be hung and Bran discovers a secret that leads them to a desperate sea voyage to France through a vicious storm in a daring attempt to reveal the plot against King William by his brother, Duke Robert, and the greedy Baron de Braose.
Will Bran's loyalty re-gain him the throne of Elfael? Or will his efforts only increase the sheriff's determination to destory King Raven?
Read an excerpt from SCARLET.
Tomorrow, some interesting stuff on the Robin Hood folklore and tangents. Wednesday, something on the MUSIC that was inspired by the trilogy. I may have a cd giveaway. I am undecided. My budget is frowning madly at me. Let me think about it some more.
Now, go forth unto my blog tourmates, many of whom have actually have an organized library and have read these novels, which they have not disgracefully and ungallantly misplaced:
Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Mike Lynch
Margaret
Karen McSpadden
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Lyn Perry
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Jason Waguespac
Daniel I. Weaver
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise
Wanna buy the novels and the cd? Find them all at amazon.com.
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| Excellent Christian Fantasy: WIND FOLLOWER |
[16 Nov 2007|12:41pm] |
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 An immature but fervent young man at odds with the spirits of his people, yet destined for some greatness he doesn't comprehend or believe; a woman of virtue and selflessness of a different tribe and color who must marry this young , flawed chieftain's son besotted with her looks and manner; and a crucial historical moment when their peoples are threatened by an outside tribe intent on conquest as their religious right: That's the premise of WIND FOLLOWER. Much conflict and growing up ensues.
...The story is affecting as a love story, as a quest story, as a tragedy, as a heroic tale, as a tale of spiritual warfare. And the voice that the author uses is effective for the telling of such a story, both musical and poetic enough to give it the feel of an oral retelling of a great folklorically-enshrined history, and non-contemporary enough to feel both culturally different and sacred.
I wrote the above in my just posted review over at amazon.com for Carole McDonnell's debut novel WIND FOLLOWER. I notice amazon only has 1 left in stock. I suggest you rush and snap it up. Oh, and read my review. (And click YES as to whether it was helpful, cause, well, I want to improve my rank. Yes, shameless of me.)
I've also commented on the novel over at the MINDFLIGHTS forum.
I believe Carole has some blog touring for the novel set for next month. If you want to support a talented Christian fantasist, please plug her book during the tour.
But mostly, READ IT and tell me what you thought. I found it engrossing mentally while it affected me spiritually the way a good devotional book does. Somehow, it preaches, and yet the way it's told allows for the preaching to be organic. Pretty cool.
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| My Character as Painted by Hanna Sandvig |
[08 Nov 2007|07:11pm] |
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In case you wanted to see the finished (unless we tweak it) painting by Hanna based on one of my characters (that I gave a preview a while ago to Mirathon readers), here she is.
I think she's gorgeous. We lost the palm trees (frown), kept the smirk (yeah, she's a little sassy), but her "key" is more to my idea of it than in the previous sketch. I super dig the lace glove. Dig it so much, I'm gonna have to write it into the latter part of the story.
Hanna rules! Go get her to do your blog header or your family portrait or something. Before she becomes a huge star and you can't afford her. :)
BTW, if I had a great idea for a graphic novel story, I'd want Hanna do illustrate it. Her art makes me smile.
Visit her blog to see more of her art and to click links to her portfolio and gallery at DeviantArt.
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| SAVE SHORT SF FICTION: It's the SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE! |
[10 Aug 2007|08:18pm] |
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The short story is my favorite form of fiction to read. Period. It has been since I was a kid.
Yes, I enjoy novels. Yes, I'm writing one. But there is something so absolutely perfect about a well-shaped, imaginative story that one can read in less than an hour, sometimes less than half an hour, sometimes a handful of minutes. One brief, potent experience that takes little time but leaves a strong mental and emotional impression. Resonating in your head. Short fiction can be poetic or stylistically daring without wearing on one, the way a strongly stylistic novel can grow tiresome.
A short story can sustain one perfect note--one tone, one theme, one voice--and leave an echo for weeks.
And a collection or anthology has the wonderful benefit that a smorgasbord does. If you don't like one, just go to the next. Unlike a novel, where if you end up hating the voice or the character, you put it down and it's gone. Nothing else on the menu. Nothing to do but go on to another novel.
There are multitudes of beauties in the short story. (Read Doris Betts and see if you don't feel more alive and human and somehow expanded in your inner regions after reading something by her. Or Katherine Mansfield. Or Gene Wolfe.)
A small investment of time. A huge possibility for pleasure and, maybe, change.
I think short story writers have it tougher than novelists, too.
In a novel, you can pad it, have scenes that are kinda dull, but the overall effect can be enjoyable and excellent. In a short story, every word and sentence really counts. A novelist can build a great story from one germ of a good idea/premise, and said idea/premise can keep them busy for a year or more. A short story writer must come up with new characters and premises all the time, some dozens of them a year. It's a demanding form. Flaws are more easily seen because of the brevity.
And a writer is hard-pressed to make a good living from just short stories (although, granted, there are exceptions). Many must go to novel form to attempt to make a pro living at it.
But short fiction is also a place where some of the best of SF have shone the brightest (imo): Harlan Ellison. Theodore Sturgeon. Connie Willis. James Tiptree, Jr. Robert Sheckley. Ray Bradbury. R.A. Lafferty. Cordwainer Smith. Kelly Link. Jorge Luis Borges.
Short fiction has also been a great springboard for many terrific novelists. Orson Scott Card's classic novel was first a short story called "Ender's Game." MORE THAN HUMAN started as a shorter work of fiction. So did A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ. So did BLOOD MUSIC.
And most of the novelists I went on to read in SF, I first encountered in short story form in some anthology or in one of the SF magazines I could pick up at the bookstore or newsstand. It's a medium that nurtures talent, discovers it even, and makes the readers say, "Hey, I like this. Wonder if they have any books?"
Well, the short story in SF is in trouble, say many, including the SlushMaster of REALMS OF FANTASY who blogs over at Monstrous Musings. Here is a lengthy excerpt from the blog entry calling for a SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE:
I got to thinking just how depressing the numbers for the short story market have become. It's been on a steady decline for some years, and it's only growing worse. Going by these numbers Realms of Fantasy took a nasty hit, and we're in better shape than most. I'm hopeful our upgraded website will draw more subscriptions when summary for 2006 comes out. That remains to be seen.
Either way, the short story market is dying. We always talk about it, but very few people seem to do anything about it. So it got me to thinking about what I could do. I'm a novel boy at heart, but since coming to Realms of Fantasy I've grown to love the short fiction market. I want to see it go on. But if we keep going as we are, if people keep treating this market like America treats oil, it will dry up. Permanently. Yes, there are online venues and I'm all for them. Anything that promotes the genre is great. But at the moment these venues are fighting to create viable business models. Their ultimate success remains to be seen.
So again. What could I do? Well, it occurred to me how in recent years there have been subscription drives for Talebones and also The Apex Science Fiction & Horror Digest. I think there was also a drive of sorts to save Ralan.com. All three of these drives were successful. Mostly word spread the blogosphere. And people did something.
So I thought to myself, "Hey, what if we did a general subscription drive, to boost the magazines for general purposes? Every subscriber counts." The difference here is that I'm not talking about any specific magazine in danger of dying. There is no immediate urgency. Nothing right now. But like with oil, one day we'll wake up and the magazines could very well be gone. We need to do something now, before that happens.
So I'm asking people to do two things. First, spread this post throughout the blogosphere. Get the message out. Second, if you haven't subscribed to a magazine recently, unless you don't have the $$$ pick one and subscribe! At least one. Saying you don't have the time to read the magazine is a lame excuse. How many of us have books we bought years ago that we haven't read? I do. Add a few magazines to the pile. What's the harm? And if you just read novels, try short stories. Why have you only been reading novels, especially if you want to be a writer? Do you honestly think there is nothing to be learned from reading shorter works? And don't tell me you've tried all the magazines. New ones are always starting. And when a new editor takes over the helm, in many ways that magazine becomes new. (You can't very well tell me you've tried the new Weird Tales. Ann Vandermeer has been the editor a couple of months, sure, but the magazine has an inventory to get through. Her selections haven't been published yet, but they soon will be). Or you can ask for suggestions. I'll answer them. So will other people reading this post, here or elsewhere. The speculative community is cool like that.
Excuses are nothing but that. So pick a magazine. Again, it doesn't have to be Realms of Fantasy (although it can be). Make it Fantasy Magazine, or The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, or Weird Tales. Get your fantasy someplace else. I don't care. Just get it. Or get some science fiction from Asimov's or Analog. Or if you think online mags are the next wave, then go to Baen's Universe or Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. Or maybe there is smaller magazine you're been kind of curious about. Subscribe. Help them take the next step in their publishing timetable, or help keep them alive. And if you're not sure which magazine to subscribe to, another option is to go to Ralan.com and see which one looks interesting.
Don't be that schmuck who litters because you figure someone else will clean up your mess. Everyone who reads this genre and isn't subscribing is making that mess, causing this market to wither and die. And don't tell me why this won't help. Just spread the word and subscribe. Now. If you don't, that's why this won't help. Because every subscription does help. Negativity and the word "but" are not welcome here.
I subscribed this past January to FANTASY. I also subscribe to MYTHIC DELERIUM. Some of my subs have lapsed (AOIFE'S KISS, DREAMS & NIGHTMARES). I prefer to buy my REALMS OF FANTASY because large magazines tend to get all deformed in my wee mailbox--torn and crunched up and just plain mangled, sometimes. I don't have this problem with JIM BAEN'S UNIVERSE, because the magazine is all online. (I renewed for a second year). Orson Scott Card's INTERGALACTIC MEDICINE SHOW is also an online read.
I edit at three online mags: two SF (mostly Christian SF) and one horror. I've scaled back how much I do lately due to busyness, but I still believe it's important to support artists of short fiction and poetry. I know what it's like to have a shrinking budget, cutbacks in what we offer. And we're a FTLOI publisher (ie, DEP). The majority of the monies to publish DKA, TSR, Fear and Trembling, etc, come from the staff. Like I said, for the LOVE of it.
Many FTLOI mags have closed the door. Darker Matter did so recently.
But pro magazines are the places where writers get a chance to qualify for membership in the SFWA. Pro magazines tend to be where the nominees for Hugos and WFAs and Nebulas come from. Pro magazines are able to offer some decent sort of pay for the creative labors of the best in the field(s).
You care about SF? Then support the laborers.
So, I'm joining the SlushMaster in calling for a subscription drive.
Go now and sub to an SF mag. And I'd add this: Donate to one of the online mags who let you read their stuff for free, too. I'm sure that Strange Horizons, Ideomancer, Abyss & Apex, and MindFlights would love to have your spare change.
And when you support some of these mags, you also support the artists whose work goes on the cover and sometimes in the interior of the publications. That's good, too!
And if you don't like SF, then go support a magazine that gives you the short fiction in the genre(s) you do like. Basically, just don't let the short story form fade away and die. Keep it breathing and dreaming!
So, you in on the drive? What are YOU going to subscribe to?
(Please REPORT your subscription here, so that they can see if the subscription drive is making headway in the blogosphere.
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| MindFlights: New SF Magazine to Launch in 2008 Merging Two Existing |
[14 Jul 2007|06:02am] |
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Here's the official announcement:
Two of Double-Edged Publishing's award-winning magazines are teaming up! Dragons, Knights, & Angels and The Sword Review are becoming one. MindFlights will combine all that is great about DKA and SR into one high-quality magazine.
We plan to launch in January 2008. Get ready. Soon, we'll be open for submissions.
Come by the new MindFlights website. We're certain you're going to love it. While things are still in flux, we've made sure to make it an eye-pleasing experience. Click main contents and--voila!---find links to current features at SR and DKA, as well as to news and columns from all the DEP publications. After you've had a look around, let us know what you think in the forums. We want your opinions as we work to make the site a great place for you.
Big plans are in place to grow MindFlights into a magazine that is second to none. We can't spill all our ideas yet, but we believe the future will be thrilling for both the readers and the contributors. Come! Join us on this new journey.
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| In Case You Want A Dash of Fairy Tale with Your Diet |
[09 May 2007|01:39pm] |
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Once Upon A Diet
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| Belated: International Pixel-Stained Peasants Day Linky "March" |
[24 Apr 2007|07:43pm] |
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I made myself a note more than a week ago to cheer on IPSP Day. I forgot. Yeesh.
But you can still find operative links to the offerings of the "webscabs" (as departing SFWA vice-president calls them), but which I call generous writers of good cheer!
Jo Walton, Mistress Instigator, posts this on her blog entry:
cheshyre has suggested that non-writers celebrate not only by an orgy of reading, but by posting about writers they've started reading because they discovered them online, which seems to me a splendid idea.
If any of those linked stories thrills you, or you find a new writer to love, well, give them their props. Cool?
Three Cheers for the Pixel-Stained Peasants and the fruit of their keyboards!
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| Okay, A Bit Longer Review Without the Hollering: Titans of Chaos |
[24 Apr 2007|03:59am] |
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WARNING: Some spoilers for books one and two in the Chronicles of Chaos.
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Ever read a novel and the adrenaline starts spurting in your body and you keep going, "Wow!" as you read? Well, this conclusion to the fabulous fantasy series by John C. Wright did that to me. Now, that's not to minimize the fun, smarts, and utter enjoyability of books one and two in the Chronicles of Chaos. It's simply to assert how slam-bang and adventuresome and satisfying this one was: A perfect, awe-inducing finale.
So, in book one we met our "orphans", who, through great smarts and innate powers (only just blossoming), manage to escape the clutches of the mythological beings holding them captive, including the sexy-bad-boy Boreas, alias Headmaster Boggin, and a really creepy Grendel. They've figured out they are much older than they seem to be and that they aren't students, but prisoners. They can't remember their true identities, but they have remnants of memories, and those memories bespeak of origins that are strange and wondrous. Despite their valiant attempt at freedom, they are recaptured, and their memories are erased. Ah, but a bit of Amelia monadal fiddling makes sure that we get to book two...
...where Amelia begins to regain her memories. Eventually, a successful escape ensues, along with further discoveries by our heroes and heroines of who they are and what they can do. Plus, a truly titanic encounter with the monstrous and beautiful and very, very dangerous Echidna (kicking scene!), before that book ends with the Olympian martial fleets coming at our intrepid heroes and heroines: Amelia (the first person narrator and inhabitor of multi-dimensions at will), Victor (Amelia's big first crush, our man of logic and matter manipulation), Vanity (the lovely one whose dreamship aids in their escapes and adventures, and whose boundary stone does some tres cool stuff), Quentin (our Dr. Strange of sorts, our magic-man with an honorable soul if some nasty apparati), and Colin (our randy bad-boy who needs to stay inspired to accomplish wonders, and who seriously wants him some Amelia).
So, we open with our fugitives trying to escape the clutches of Mavors' (Mars/Ares) army of lizard-men and Atlanteans, and the mountainous, pyramidal ships of the war god that I thought were a delight to visualize. And I will offer no big spoilers here of a truly terrific series of adventures, discoveries, and mind-boggling battles. Just about anything I say would be a spoiler, given how packed this novel is and it's breathless pace.
I will say that we get some lovely mixes of the fantastical-mythological with the science fictional, so that we are tripping in a real best called science-fantasy (in one sense of that classification), that gorgeous hybrid that Mr. Wright manages with dazzling deftness, and in particular in a segment of the novel that thrills with imaginative space travel. I dare you not to go, "WOW!"
You'll see our fugitives in San Francisco, LA, back in England, on a deserted island, up beyond the stratosphere, down in dreamland, and wherever they go, trouble follows in ever-increasing and astonishing measure. I've never had such fun reading showdowns. I mean, geesh, wait til you get a load of these Maeanads. It gives girlpower a whole new spin.
Along with some wonderful intellectual musings, some Christian allusions (oh, lord, how I felt utterly moved by the magnificent intrusions into the prelapsarian world), some randy coming-of-age antics, some very funny bits that had me barking--one has to adore Colin with his war cry of "Amelia Windrose!"--and some truly dark and terrifying moments when it seems as if there is no way our kids can win the day, then even darker and scarier ones when you think, "Okay, THIS TIME, they're done for," even if you know better. When the climactic showdown with the one who has manipulated people and events and plotted the demise of our "orphans" finally arrives, it's like being on the wildest, craziest ride in some fantastic amusement park run by a lunatic genius.
But all rides end. Sigh.
A quieter, but no less of a battle, conclusion lets us feel a true denouement (but not without leaving room for more Chaos stories, which I hope will come). The reader can feel satisfied because love, loyalty, cooperation, abilities, friendship, sacrifice, hard work, brilliant problem solving, and audacity do, indeed, bring an ending to smile about. Oh, happy day.
Well, you can tell I loved TITANS OF CHAOS, right?
If you like the dazzle of superpowered heroes in comic books, if you like science-fantasy, if Zelazny's AMBER series zinged you, if you like intellect that isn't stuffy, the high mixed with the low, if you want to see what Cupid/Eros would be like if he lived on the West Coast and had entrepreneurial leanings, if you loved Harry Potter and want to see how it might be fashioned if there were five Harrys, not just one, and the enemies were much more numerous and powerful than Voldemort, if you want to see what happenes when "kids" who can destroy an entire universe have to figure out the way to walk the tightest of tight ropes in order to survive themselves and not destroy Earth, this is the series for you.
Recommended in a big, big way. (But read one and two first!)
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| Mir's Review of John C. Wright's TITANS OF CHAOS (sorta) |
[22 Apr 2007|06:56pm] |
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH
MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
GOSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Why are you not reading this?
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
GOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!
Okay, clearly, I have not come down from my TITANS OF CHAOS high sufficiently to write calm and lovely sentences about the novel.
But I feel sorry for those of y'all who have not read books one and two, so you could be reading book THREE this minute!!!
(Just put his name on the Nebula now, please)
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| Resurrection Day: He is Risen...Just as He said... |
[08 Apr 2007|01:14pm] |
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"Easter Song" by Keith Green |
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For the Heart and Spirit:
Matthew 28
1. Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
2. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
3. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
5. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
6. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
7. "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."
8. And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.
9. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
10. Then Jesus *said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me."
11. Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.
12. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13. and said, "You are to say, `His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.'
14. "And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble."
15. And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.
16. But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.
17. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
18. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20. teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
For the Intellect:
The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus by Wm Lane Craig
Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?--A Debate
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
by John MacArthur
Part 1
Part 2
Praise to Him! Glory to Him! He is Risen!
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| Speculative Faith Post for Good Friday is UP |
[06 Apr 2007|02:57pm] |
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I'm interrupting my topic continuation from last week to post a little more specifically to the holy day which it is.
Drop by and read "An Interruption in Normal Programming: Christ-like Sacrifices in SF"
And then post your suggestions for good SF reads/flicks suitable for Good Friday.
Over at Mirathon, I'm taking suggestions (see 4/5 post) on the "saddest SF story." Drop by and gimme some titles.
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| Visit and Views STATS for DKA and TSR March 2007! |
[03 Apr 2007|11:11am] |
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Here are both February and March visits/page views stats for both DKA and TSR so that you can compare where action is UP:
Month.................The Sword Review..........DKA Magazine
February~~~~~~~~~41,046 ~883,902 ___41,909 ~545,170
March~~~~~~~~~~ 60,417 ~805,814 ___51,574 ~659,193
For Dragons, Knights & Angels, that's more than 50K visits in March, and two-thirds of a million page views. Cool.
Our second annual fiction contest has a deadline of April 10, 2007. ONE WEEK, people. Get those stories in. See the annnouncement here: http://www.dkamagazine.com/item.php?sub_id=438
If you win/place, you get publication at DKA and in print. And cash. And a bonus prize. And tens of thousands of folks may get to read YOUR story. (Must fit in with our Vision Statement. Read it at http://www.dkamagazine.com/DKA_vision.html)
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| ORIGINS: A Book of John Jude Palencar's Art |
[03 Apr 2007|07:33am] |
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For many years, I enjoyed John Jude Palencar's surrealistic cover art without knowing his name. I think the first piece of his I noted may have been for a Connie Willis story collection, FIREWATCH or IMPOSSIBLE THINGS. I remember stopping and going ooooh, and I remember studying the cover and thinking, "Wow, this is really, really something."
I saw more work after that, my eye ready to catch his handiwork, more covers that were recognizably "that artist's" work--Octavia Butler novels, Charles de Lint books. Oh, "The Onion Girl", that's another one that made me pick up the book. He makes you do that-- stop, look. He makes you stare. He does things to your insides with this amazing unreal reality he presents.
 Look at the cover of FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS? I remember being stopped cold in the bookstore for that one. "What does this mean?" It's eerily beautiful. Startling. It's something special.
And he is that. Really, really something special. There is a moodiness, a sort of solitude and mysticism, that you can feel in the artwork. I've gotten this same feeling enjoying the work of Remedios Varo--though without the consistent weight of Varo's symbolism or her brighter hues, I gather-- that dazzling Spanish, female surrealist obsessed with alchemy. Palencar seems to be interested in the isolation of the humans in his worlds of wonder or terror. (The Lovecraft cover art paintings are very difficult to behold. Chilling, nauseating, as they should be.)
(Then again, I could be totally wrong. This is, after all, just my impression, and I am neither an artist nor an art historian. I'm merely someone who was a kid haunting museums and who grew up to love SF novels and SF art.)
So, after years of digging cover art by JJP, I was delighted to discover that this book was out there. I have it, I've perused it, I sigh over it, and it will sit next to my other books on SF art, including my Richard Powers one. I'll be enjoying it for years.
What's inside? Well, open it and get to a fabulous two-page title page spread with a robed angel, all soft pale colors and that gorgeous face. (Palencar does faces with marvelous skill. Beautiful, dreamy, thoughtful, inward-looking, trance-y, aesthetically superb faces. And hands and feet, too. I love studying his painted feet and faces. He makes them beautiful.) ORIGINS: The art of John Jude Palencar. Turn the page for another two-page spread with the copyright info. A brunette woman with an exquisite upper back, bared by the robe that's fallen off her shoulders. Slim-fingered hands reaching out to the left, up to the right, strands meticulously painted at her nape. Again, pale colors, greys and whites,and the browns of the woman. That texture that you associate with Palencar--a graininess, like wood or granite or some other natural object with a FEEL to it. Turn one more page and you get to the painting used in ELDEST by CHristopher Paolini, and it is Paolini who pens the foreword, which he ends with, "Welcome, then, to this collection of one man's visions. You may find them thought provoking, you may find them awe-inspiring, but if nothing else, I hope you find them memorable."
I think they are memorable.
Turn the page again and you find the painting "Angelica", painted for the Sharon Shinn novel of that title. A brunette, eyes closed, face turned up, seemingly in prayer, a subtle moon to the right, unattached wings flying off to the left, and a dawn (or maybe dusk) palette of pale lavenders/grays/charcoal, and the soft and pale wings. Note the fingers and that exquisite bone structure. Opposite this painting is "Burning the Midnight Oil" : A biography of the artist, complete with photos.
After several pages of insight into the life and work of the man, the great stuff parades for you: sketches, fully realized works, titles. Page after page of the subtly painted, gorgeously executed, profoundly pleasurable art. Don't expect commentary. This is the only thing lacking in the book, although some may say it's not needed. Me, I love when works are commented on by the artist. What does it mean to him? Why that object? Why these colors?
But sans commentary, you still have paintings that speak well for themselves of wonder and the fictional or theatrical works they relate to.
Palencar just got nominated for a Hugo award for his art. I, for one, hope he wins. These paintings say he's already a winner, just by having this grand talent. I mean, along with Whelan and Kinuko Craft and a handful of others, he's on my shortlist of "Artists Mir Would Die Happy If They Did Her Novel Cover."
Buy ORIGINS and just abandon yourselves to his art. It's not a bad way to spend a few hours. Not bad at all.
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| Fabulous Market-Finding Tool For Writers |
[02 Apr 2007|12:35pm] |
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Psychedelic Furs "Love My Way" |
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Thanks to Josh V for this link: Duotrope's Digest (Markets for Writers).
Here's the results for my search for "short story" in "fantasy" in "any medium" at "any pay scale".
Easy to use, you fill in the particulars, and--voila--the links appear before your eyes. You'll want to bookmark this one or link to it on your sidebar (as I plan to. They also have a submission tracker, and by reporting where you submit and what your response was (revision, rejection, acceptance), you can help them keep up with the markets and help OTHER writers (and you). So, register. Participate. If you have submissions out there, enter them into the submission tracker. When you get replies, enter the results. It helps the broader writing community!
SOLIDARITY, SCRIBES AND POETS!
And I think it's so useful to me and my fellow writers, that I donated ten bucks to their budget. If you have a paypal account and think this is a worthy tool for scribes such as we are, then drop in a buck or five, eh?
But donate to DKA first, cause, well, we still haven't make a big enough dent on fundraising for next year's budget. You can support us by entering the contest or buying stuff from our store, or just donating via Paypal (see the button on our sidebar). Visit DKA and lend us some support.
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| Assorted Links of Interest on Hugo 2007 |
[02 Apr 2007|06:59am] |
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The Innocence Mission "Black Sheep Wall" |
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Jed Hartman's journal offers these: Hugo Complaining as a Spectator Sport, where he covers several of the complaints out there and responds. And he also posted on "Women on the Hugo Ballot." This year, one woman--ONE--shows up in the 20 fiction nominees among the four categories. That does make The Mir raise a surprised and wondering eyebrow. (But, ultimately, I calmed down.) He suggests ways to improve the profile of XX writers in the future. Anne/Netmouse is calling for reading suggestions from folks who thought certain women authors SHOULD have been on the list of nominees. If you have a name or two, comment on her blog.
Zhaneel has also weighed in on the underrepresentation of women in the Hugo noms. As have I, in the comments. I'm not upset about it. (Go see why.)
Here's a blog entry on the art nominees, with links for each artist.
Here are the fiction works available online:
"The Walls of the Universe" by Paul Melko (novella)
"Inclination" by William Shunn (novella)
"All the Things You Are" by Mike Resnick (novelette)
"The House Beyond Your Sky" by Benjamin Rosenbaum (short story)
BLINDSIGHT by Peter Watts (novel)
Neil Gaiman stated on his blog some days ago he'd post his story for voters' consideration. If anyone has links to other nominated works, do leave me a link in the comments. THANKS.
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| It Must Have Something to Do With The Date...Heh |
[01 Apr 2007|06:46pm] |
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http://www.google.com/tisp/press.html
"Dark porcelain" project offers self-installed plumbing-based Internet access
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 1, 2007 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the launch of Google TiSP (BETA)™, a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity via users' plumbing systems. The Toilet Internet Service Provider (TiSP) project is a self-installed, ad-supported online service that will be offered entirely free to any consumer with a WiFi-capable PC and a toilet connected to a local municipal sewage system.
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mirtika's journal
