As I mentioned in my last blog, I sold a short story to an E-zine called RayGunRevival. That is the first of a planned three part story. The central character in the story is Jason Hawkins, who currently lives on Earth but works at power plant on the asteroid Ceres. In the first story Jason has a very eventful trip on his way to work in the asteroid belt.
I have been hard at work on the second story which will take place on the asteroid Ceres, where Jason works.
The third story has been outlined, but as yet I have not put any words to paper. I anticipate that I will start on this third story, at the beginning of November.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
It's a sell
Well the time spent in front of a computer, reading and re-reading, proofing, critiquing, and second guessing myself have paid off. The pay day will not allow me to quit my day job, but never-the-less I can say that I'm a published writer.
I have a story that will be published in the E-Zine Ray Gun Revival . It hasn't posted yet, but when it does I will notify everyone I know, and mention it prominently here on this blog.
But even though I am not in the current issue online or any of the archives, I would encourage anyone that happens to read this blog to check out there website, for excellent golden age science fiction.
Check back soon, hopefully I have more news to share.
I have a story that will be published in the E-Zine Ray Gun Revival . It hasn't posted yet, but when it does I will notify everyone I know, and mention it prominently here on this blog.
But even though I am not in the current issue online or any of the archives, I would encourage anyone that happens to read this blog to check out there website, for excellent golden age science fiction.
Check back soon, hopefully I have more news to share.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Howard vs. Tolkien - Not!
Today’s blog takes us slightly out of the science fiction realm and back to the Hyborian age, and to the tales of Conan the barbarian written by Robert E. Howard, the best that the Fantasy genre has to offer.
Lately, I have been reading the classics of Science Fiction, and Fantasy. There is no other author who is more responsible for creating the model of the Fantasy genre, than Robert E. Howard and the Conan series. I hear the arguments already - Tolkien, Tolkien, Tolkien – I agree Tolkien set the standard for creating a fantasy world and telling an epic story. The last thing I want to do is get into a discussion comparing Tolkien with Howard, as far as I’m concerned there is very little comparison.
What Howard did for fantasy, and what will keep his works fresh and alive for years to come; is that he wrote about very gritty, real characters in a world that leaves room for the imagination to take hold and make the world real to the reader. Where other writers of the fantasy genre differ from Howard, is that there worlds are complete down to the DNA level. Howard left room in his stories for the reader to dream and to make up their own piece of the world for the hole that Howard left in it.
Where, at times, science fiction does not age well and the science that at once seemed fantastic and very probably is proved to be unattainable, fantasy can be timeless. The tales of Conan are the epitome of the golden age of fantasy, and are timeless in their telling. The Conan stories will not age if the Large Hadron Collider discovers the higgs boson, they will be as crisp as the snow fields Conan stomped across on his way to a bloody battle.
Lately, I have been reading the classics of Science Fiction, and Fantasy. There is no other author who is more responsible for creating the model of the Fantasy genre, than Robert E. Howard and the Conan series. I hear the arguments already - Tolkien, Tolkien, Tolkien – I agree Tolkien set the standard for creating a fantasy world and telling an epic story. The last thing I want to do is get into a discussion comparing Tolkien with Howard, as far as I’m concerned there is very little comparison.
What Howard did for fantasy, and what will keep his works fresh and alive for years to come; is that he wrote about very gritty, real characters in a world that leaves room for the imagination to take hold and make the world real to the reader. Where other writers of the fantasy genre differ from Howard, is that there worlds are complete down to the DNA level. Howard left room in his stories for the reader to dream and to make up their own piece of the world for the hole that Howard left in it.
Where, at times, science fiction does not age well and the science that at once seemed fantastic and very probably is proved to be unattainable, fantasy can be timeless. The tales of Conan are the epitome of the golden age of fantasy, and are timeless in their telling. The Conan stories will not age if the Large Hadron Collider discovers the higgs boson, they will be as crisp as the snow fields Conan stomped across on his way to a bloody battle.
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