Movie Review: Everest

Movie Review: Everest

Mountaineering--especially on the world's fourteen peaks over 8000 meters--has fascinated me for a while now. For documentation, see chapter 32 of my novel. Though the insane risks involved firmly relegate me to armchair enthusiast status, I usually welcome the chance to get some vicarious thrills through other people's foolhardiness. Everest,…
October 9, 2015
How to Flesh out Your Novel with Three-Act Structure

How to Flesh out Your Novel with Three-Act Structure

Graph by Wendell Wellman Final editing proceeds nicely on Souldancer. As I've mentioned before, Soul Cycle vol. II will focus more on romantic themes than Nethereal did, without watering down the horror. In fact, my editor's first comment on the manuscript was how consistently eerie SD is. Since I'm trying a rather ambitious interweaving…
October 8, 2015
Movie Review: The Martian

Movie Review: The Martian

I saw The Martian. Full disclosure: I haven't yet read the book. When a multimedia event like this comes around, my friends and I have found that it makes for interesting and informative discussions to have somebody read the book first, then see the movie; and for someone else to…
October 7, 2015

Podcast Madness

This weekend, I podcasted harder than I ever have before--appearing on not one, but two Google Hangouts. First up, Daddy Warpig, Dorrinal, and I finally discussed the long overdue topic of pen and paper RPGs on Geek Gab. Old school dungeon master DW instructed first-time GM Dorrinal in the finer…
October 5, 20152 Comments
Nethereal Is now Half Price for Kindle

Nethereal Is now Half Price for Kindle

I'm running a special on Nethereal. For a limited time, the Kindle version is $1.99, half its original price. One of indie publishing's biggest advantages is versatility. I don't need approval from some marketing or accounting department to try new advertising strategies, change ad copy or covers, or experiment with…
October 3, 2015
Indie Publishing Q&A

Indie Publishing Q&A

We've got a big Superversive SF live stream coming up on Sunday afternoon. The topic of the day is whether we are currently living in the golden age of publishing. The answer largely depends on whether you see indie publishing's rise to dominance as a good thing or a bad…
October 1, 2015
The Power of Symbols

The Power of Symbols

Storytellers have always used symbols. Even the most ancient texts contain rich symbolism. So do tales predating the written word by millennia. At first it seems counterproductive to wrap ideas in layers of metaphor. What's easier: saying, "Being too single-minded can land you in trouble," or writing a 635 page book about a guy chasing a…
September 29, 2015

Geek Gab: Skin Game

This week on Geek Gab, Daddy Warpig, Dorrinal, and I finally get around to discussing Skin Game by Jim Butcher. A lively conversation ensues, covering the origins of the Dresden Files, the geekish splendor in which Mr. Butcher lives, and the current novel's fan favorite villain (warning: possible spoilers). Give the episode…
September 28, 2015
Reply to a Comment on the Previous Post

Reply to a Comment on the Previous Post

Over at Superversive SF, commenter ksterlingh offers constructive criticism of my previous post. Technical difficulties prevent me from responding in Superversive's comments section, so I'll post my reply here. Since the original reply approaches post length itself, I'll address it point-by-point. ksterlingh's comments will appear in italics. My replies will…
September 25, 20152 Comments
Middle Earth 90210: How Tolkien and Howard’s Successors Blew Their Inheritance

Middle Earth 90210: How Tolkien and Howard’s Successors Blew Their Inheritance

As this blog's subtitle implies, I write speculative fiction. So far my works include hard SF, mil-SF, weird fiction, SF/horror, and space opera. Perhaps you noticed the absence of fantasy from that list. The omission seems even stranger when you consider that I'm an incorrigible Tolkien fan. The Hobbit, The…
September 23, 2015