Back in the days when Usenet was the largest discussion forum on the Net, there was a discussion of all the things that an EFFECTIVE Evil Overlord had to do -- and NOT do -- that were often overlooked, or directly worked AGAINST, in many works of fiction. It became a thread of discussion titled "If I Am Ever the Evil Overlord...", and various people (including myself) contributed to it as it grew. Eventually it (and its successors/companion pieces such as If I Am Ever the Hero, If I Am Ever the Sidekick, etc.) was gathered together and [ Continue reading... ]
Just For Fun: Teaser Chapter: _Paradigms Lost_
November 1, 2013 By 4 Comments
My vastly expanded and revised version of Digital Knight, titled Paradigms Lost, will be released next year. Here's the first chapter. Readers of the original will note there are already a few subtle differences -- not the least of these being an explicit date for when everything starts... ----- Part 1: Gone in a Flash April, 1999: Chapter 1: Dead Man Knocking I clicked on the JAPES icon. A second picture appeared on the Lumiere RAN-7X workstation screen next to the digitized original, said original being a [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: TERMINATOR
October 28, 2013 By 1 Comment
"Come with me if you want to live." --Kyle Reese/The T-800 One of the most iconic cinematic inventions of our time was born from a nightmare. James Cameron, fevered and ill, dreamed of a metallic skull with glowing eyes emerging from flames… and from this image came The Terminator. Most people know the basic story: sometime in the future, the computer called Skynet is given control of America's nuclear defenses… and becomes self aware. Partly out of fear of its own destruction, Skynet then initiates [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: Spider-Man
October 25, 2013 By 4 Comments
"With great power comes great responsibility." As I've mentioned before, my first major exposure to comics occurred at the age of 18, when I was living in my first apartment with two other guys, Steve Reed and Ed Lord. Steve was the SF book collector of the pair, while Ed Lord was the comic collector. It was in his collection that I first encountered the Amazing Spider-Man. His basic origin is known to virtually everyone these days, given that there've been two movies in the last decade or so which [ Continue reading... ]
Teaser Chapter: Castaway Planet Lincoln
October 23, 2013 By 1 Comment
Today, a sample of the book Eric and I have been working on lately (I just finished the first draft edits). It's a YA space adventure, set in the future of the Boundaryverse! Note that the title is subject to change -- it hasn't been officially confirmed yet -- and since this is a first draft much may yet change. ----- Chapter 1. Sakura Kimei lay as still as possible on the set of pipes, listening for the creature's approach. Could be very near. She gripped the weapon in her right hand and steadied [ Continue reading... ]
Just For Fun: Covers/Cover Art
October 21, 2013 By 3 Comments
The first thing anyone sees of one of my books (well, except for my beta-readers!) is the cover. The cover is the living embodiment of "first impressions", and it's proven that a bad cover can be death to a book's sales. I've been fortunate in my covers, so far, and hopefully I will continue to be. How the Covers are Made Different publishers approach this in different ways. Some publishers have historically directed the art completely separate from the author – the author never knows anything about the cover [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: Primeval
October 18, 2013 By 1 Comment
You spend your entire career planning for just about every crisis imaginable - up to and including alien invasion - then this happens. So much for thinking outside the bloody box. -- James Lester The first episode of Primeval opens up like a classic monster movie flick; a young woman in trouble, chased by something we don't see clearly but is definitely huge and hostile, and then a quick chase sequence which indicates our momentary heroine is a goner. But Primeval is nothing like your [ Continue reading... ]
Just For Fun: My Top Ten Villains!
October 14, 2013 By 6 Comments
While, at least in theory, we cheer for the victory of the heroes, it is often the villains that define a work, and certainly the villains tend to get the best lines, best music, and commonly the coolest "style" in a work. This probably partly stems from the fact that villains are more "free" than the heroes; they get to do what they want rather than what they should or must. In addition, the villains tend to be in control, the ACTIVE force, in the story, at least up until the end; the heroes spend much of their time reacting [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: Flash Gordon
October 7, 2013 By 1 Comment
"Will you destroy this… 'Earth'?" "Later! I like to play with things a while… before annihilation…" Perhaps best known for its awesome rock soundtrack by none other than Queen, Flash Gordon is a cult favorite movie beloved for its unabashed and magnificent cheesiness. Based – with, as to be expected, considerable latitude –on the classic comic strip and old movie serials, Flash Gordon tells the story of Earth natives "Flash" Gordon (quarterback, New York Jets), journalist Dale Arden, and scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov [ Continue reading... ]
What You’re Saying