Back to the re-reads. Damnation Alley (the film adaptation) came out in 1977. Mad Max was released in 1979. Escape from New York in 1981. The not-quite-apocalyptic collapse of civilization enjoyed a vogue. Not all post-apocalyptic stories took place thousands of years later after survivors mutated and began to rebuild. One example is 1974’s The… Continue reading The Texas-Israeli War: 1999. Another Fun Swing and Miss from the 70s.
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David Drake Welcomes You to The Jungle.
The re-reading took a short hiatus because someone gifted me a book. That in itself was pleasant. Even better was that the book in question was written by David Drake. The Jungle is, unsurprisingly from Drake, a work of military science fiction. What is a trifle unexpected is that the setting is not original to… Continue reading David Drake Welcomes You to The Jungle.
Eyas. Scope and Revelations
The re-readings continue. The condition of my copy of Crawford Kilian’s Eyas reveals that I read it numerous times. With a copyright of 1982, I most likely picked it up in one of the three (!) bookstores in Clackamas Town Center mall. I certainly liked it well enough to re-read three or four times, judging… Continue reading Eyas. Scope and Revelations
Work Continues, Paycheck or Not
Writing is not for those who demand instant gratification. The pipeline is lengthy. The product received at the far end might have entered the pipe a year or more ago. The system demands patience from the scribbler. This year (from a writing standpoint at least, don’t get me started on the job search — that… Continue reading Work Continues, Paycheck or Not
“A Tapestry of Magics” Weaves Its Spell
The re-reading continues, and will do so until such a time as I can again find gainful employment that will justify expenditure on new books. And that’s fine (the re-reading, that is, not my current impecunious state) since I have a library worth re-reading. Today I finished Brian Daley’s A Tapestry of Magics. The book… Continue reading “A Tapestry of Magics” Weaves Its Spell
Three Toots on a Tin Whistle for Cirsova
A decade is considerable achievement for just about anything. Keeping a quarterly fiction magazine operational for that long in a world offering a billion different entertainment options is impressive. Cirsova Magazine is celebrating such a milestone with its Tenth Anniversary Edition, an edition with my name on the cover I should note. So, given the… Continue reading Three Toots on a Tin Whistle for Cirsova
The Hereafter Gang. Doing the Limbo Rock.
I just finished re-reading Neal Barrett, Jr.’s The Hereafter Gang. It’s probably been twenty years or more since I first read it and I wanted to see if it held up. Did it? Mostly. It seems my memory of the book was primarily of the last third, the final act. My response this time to… Continue reading The Hereafter Gang. Doing the Limbo Rock.
That Most Evil of Necessary Evils: Publicity
March 25th marked the release of another novel. The pleasure derived from a book release is soon diminished at the realization of the concomitant requirement of publicizing it. People won’t buy the book if they don’t know it exists. I understand that. But it doesn’t mean I enjoy the process. Especially not interviews. I’ve made… Continue reading That Most Evil of Necessary Evils: Publicity
Twilight Galaxy: Dekason
Imagine, if you will, mankind’s expansion into space. Humans gradually fill up the galaxy, settling thousands upon thousands of worlds. People build, terraform, create, and trade among the stars. Old political systems take on new forms, theoretically new forms are experimented with. Conflicts arise. Coalitions, alliances, syndicates, and empires appear, mingle, coalesce, mutate. Wars blaze… Continue reading Twilight Galaxy: Dekason