The original draft of Phoenix Rising included several chapters which were cut, mainly because they slowed our approach to the main action of the book. The downside, in my view, was that we lost a glimpse at how Kyri became the way she was, and other characters' interactions with her before the main events. The only changes I've made to these chapters are titles and names which were changed for the published version. ----- Chapter 1. Kyri smiled at her little sister Urelle as she ran, zig-zag fashion, [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: Jonny Quest
April 19, 2013 By 7 Comments
In 1964, Hanna-Barbera decided to try an action-adventure based animated television series, and asked comic-book writer and illustrator Doug Wyldie to give them a treatment of an animated version of Jack Armstrong, All-American Boy, a popular radio drama from the 30s through 1951. As it turned out, they couldn't get the rights to Armstrong and asked Wyldie if he could create a similar show treatment with original characters. Wyldie took the basic idea of the old Jack Armstrong adventures – a young boy and his friend or relative on [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: Gladiator-At-Law, by C.M. Kornbluth and Frederik Pohl
April 17, 2013 By 2 Comments
Written in 1954, Gladiator-At-Law focuses on Charles Mundin, a criminal attorney barely making ends meet in a world where corporate influence has become more powerful than government (indeed, there is very little evidence of actual government operating at all) and where many professions, including those of corporate lawyer, have become hereditary and closed to outsiders. Mundin may survive as a criminal lawyer, but he'll never be rich… and he can never manage to rise into the world of corporate law, unless someone has an "in" for him. [ Continue reading... ]
HYPERION ORIGIN: Chapter 9
April 15, 2013 By 7 Comments
Well, you know, heroes aren't very much fun without some villains to bother them... ----- ix. He paused just before entering the huge glass-fronted office, checking his shadowy reflection in the doorway, making sure his hair was perfectly arranged, his hat just so, his white suit precisely as it should be. Appearances mattered, after all. He pushed the door open and walked in, long-legged stride accentuated by the clean lines of the suit. The secretary looked up and smiled. "Dr. Fairchild! Mr. [ Continue reading... ]
HYPERION ORIGIN: Chapter 8
April 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Well, something had gone wrong... let's see if they survived! ----- viii. "DuQuesne! DuQuesne! C'mon, Blackie, don't do this to me!" He was aware of aching pain, pain throughout his body, as though ever fiber of his being had been stretched out, pounded, stretched again, and wrapped around a bed of needles. Muzzily he forced one eye open, seeing Seaton standing… no, floating over him, dark circles under his friend's eyes making him look as though he'd gone rounds with someone twice his [ Continue reading... ]
HYPERION ORIGIN: Chapter 7
April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Preparations were complete... ----- vii. "You okay, Rich?" The tone of his voice spoke volumes more than the simple words. "On the beam and in the green, Marc." Seaton looked at him from the other acceleration couch, duplicate bank of controls mirroring Marc's own. At DuQuesne's glance, he nodded. "Dot and I talked it out the last few days. She wasn't happy, but she's accepted we have to do this, and supports me. Don't worry. I'll pull my weight." "And more. Sorry to have asked [ Continue reading... ]
HYPERION ORIGIN: Chapter 6
April 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Our friends had made a few discoveries... ----- "Good Lord, Richard, it's huge!" Dorothy Vaneman looked with awe up at the immense battleship-gray hull that curved up and away into the sky, seeming to lean out over them ready to fall over at any minute. "I thought this was supposed to be a test vehicle, a little thing!" "Well, Miss Vaneman, neither of us are particularly small, so the ship's got to fit our needs," DuQuesne said with a smile. "I suppose you have a point, Dr. [ Continue reading... ]
HYPERION ORIGIN: Chapter 5
April 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment
They'd had their accolades, now it was time to get to work... ----- v. "Blackie" DuQuesne squeezed himself, with difficulty, farther under the imaging tank – an N-th generation descendant of the original cloud-chambers used in early nuclear experiments, adapted for the specific task of reacting to the presence of liberated sub-etheric particles of the third order. He grunted as he found the loose connection – one of the grounding connectors had worked loose, probably due to resonant vibration; he had to pad these [ Continue reading... ]
HYPERION ORIGIN: Chapter 4
April 3, 2013 By 2 Comments
An unexpected meeting had turned into scientific discovery, and scientific discovery leads to... ----- iv. For the first time, and one of the only times, in his life, Marc C. DuQuesne felt small, almost intimidated and in awe, as he, Seaton, and Bryson walked across the stage to thunderous applause. Glancing to one side, he could see that Seaton's expression mirrored his own feelings – stunned disbelief, rising elation, and not a little stage fright. He found it comforting that there was something of the [ Continue reading... ]
HYPERION ORIGIN: Chapter 3
April 1, 2013 By 7 Comments
So the two young men had met over a common problem ... time to see what came of that.... ----- iii. At DuQuesne's knock, a somewhat tired tenor voice from within the office said "Come in." DuQuesne took a deep breath, trying to make sure he stayed calm and focused, and glanced at Richard Seaton, who nodded. DuQuesne grasped the knob and opened the door. Professor Bryson's brown eyes widened and eyebrows rose momentarily as he saw both DuQuesne and Seaton enter, then dropped [ Continue reading... ]
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