A. Clarence Shandon is a man of limited vision and less patience with anything he is unfamiliar with. When a storm sinks the ship he is on and he finds himself adrift, he also finds he has no particular reason to live. But a seemingly chance encounter with another castaway, floating in the water with him, gives him if not hope, at least some direction. Golias – Boyan Taliesin Golias – insists that they are approaching a place called "The Commonwealth", and there they will land… and, perhaps, survive. Golias' [ Continue reading... ]
On My Shelves: Call It Courage
November 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment
It happened many years ago, before the traders and missionaries first came into the south seas, while the Polynesians were still great in numbers and fierce of heart. But even today the people of Hikueru sing this story in their chants and tell it over the evening fires. It is the story of Mafatu, the Boy Who Was Afraid. Call It Courage is a children's novel, a Newbery Medal winner and the most famous novel of Armstrong Sperry, an author and illustrator of mostly children's novels who had a fascination with the Polynesian [ Continue reading... ]
Just For Fun: The Annotated Evil Overlord Part 5
November 18, 2013 By 2 Comments
Herewith is the final part of the dissection of the Evil Overlord list. Back to more "regular" columns later this week! For convenience, I'm including our panel listing in each post. Our Expert Panel We have assembled for this special conference several fine villains who have wreaked havoc throughout the known multiverse. Let's meet them: Virigar. King of the Great Werewolves and progenitor of the species, Virigar is the most-feared monster on all of Zarathan. A soul-eating, nearly indestructible being, Virigar's [ Continue reading... ]
Just For Fun: The Annotated Evil Overlord, Part 4
November 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Almost to the end. Part Five is the final section! For convenience, I'm including our panel listing in each post. Our Expert Panel We have assembled for this special conference several fine villains who have wreaked havoc throughout the known multiverse. Let's meet them: Virigar. King of the Great Werewolves and progenitor of the species, Virigar is the most-feared monster on all of Zarathan. A soul-eating, nearly indestructible being, Virigar's age is unknown, his full powers a mystery. He has killed gods and demons and [ Continue reading... ]
Just For Fun: The Annotated Evil Overlord, part 3
November 11, 2013 By 9 Comments
For convenience, I'm including our panel listing in each post. Our Expert Panel We have assembled for this special conference several fine villains who have wreaked havoc throughout the known multiverse. Let's meet them: Virigar. King of the Great Werewolves and progenitor of the species, Virigar is the most-feared monster on all of Zarathan. A soul-eating, nearly indestructible being, Virigar's age is unknown, his full powers a mystery. He has killed gods and demons and men, shrugged off or consumed spells and energy weapons, and [ Continue reading... ]
Just For Fun: The Annotated Evil Overlord, Part 2
November 8, 2013 By 7 Comments
For convenience, I'm including our panel listing in each post. Our Expert Panel We have assembled for this special conference several fine villains who have wreaked havoc throughout the known multiverse. Let's meet them: Virigar. King of the Great Werewolves and progenitor of the species, Virigar is the most-feared monster on all of Zarathan. A soul-eating, nearly indestructible being, Virigar's age is unknown, his full powers a mystery. He has killed gods and demons and men, shrugged off or consumed spells and energy weapons, and survived [ Continue reading... ]
Just for Fun: The Annotated Evil Overlord, Part 1
November 6, 2013 By 11 Comments
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... ]
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... ]
What You’re Saying