A New Story in Galaxy’s Edge

My latest short story, “Relative Fortune,” appears in the November issue of Galaxy’s Edge (no. 35). All his life, Tom worked toward one goal: to explore space. Then, in an instant, his dream was dashed. And in the final insult, his brother Rey went into space instead. Twenty years later, Rey has returned from the stars to see Tom, who has built himself a new life–but has either really gotten what he wanted? If success and failure are two faces of the same coin, who decides which side he is on?

Also available from Amazon is my time travel adventure series, The Stolen Future. Read it, enjoy it, review it!

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And “The Cosmic City” Makes Three

Here is the new cover for the final volume of The Stolen Future, The Cosmic City.

This blurb makes it sound pretty exciting…

In the conclusion to The Stolen Future trilogy, Keryl Clee finds himself at the center of a crisis which could mean the destruction not only on Earth, but of Time itself.

Hostages of a time-traveling madman who is creating an army from the past to conquer the world of the future, before Clee and Lady Maire can defeat him they must come to grips with the shocking truth behind the 300-year-old Nuum invasion of Earth.

Beset by new and powerful enemies, betrayed by the Council of Nobles itself, Keryl Clee has one last chance to unite the peoples of Earth–Nuum and Thoran, human and non-human alike–because even he is powerless against those who are coming from beyond the stars to reach…The Cosmic City.

I recommend reading it, because if Time is destroyed, it could be a real downer for your plans for the weekend.

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The Secret City is Out from DFP

So excited that the second volume of The Stolen Future, The Secret City, is available for Kindle from Amazon from Digital Fiction Publishing!

Here is the blurb from the publisher:

In this sequel to The Invisible City, after twenty years alone, Charles “Keryl” Clee once again finds himself hurtling through a time portal to an uncertain future.

Stranded in an unforgiving desert populated by unseen predators, Clee must find a place for himself in a world that wants him only dead. But his greatest fear is that he may not have returned to the world he left behind, that he may have traveled to an earlier or later era than that he knows, and that his love, the Lady Maire, may be long dead or centuries unborn.

Finding human treachery even more hazardous than beasts, accused of a crime he did not commit, still hunted for his attempt to free humanity from slavery decades before, Clee must find his own way as a ghost in a world where all are known, and ordered, and categorized.

Discovering that everything he worked for has been lost, and that his love has formed a new alliance with his greatest enemy, he has no choice but to fight–and just when it seems he has achieved victory, he and all he holds dear are plunged into the depths of horror as a new race arises from the nightmares of the distant past to wreak its revenge. If Clee cannot stop them, they will destroy every remnant of human civilization.

For lovers of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard, The Secret City, the second volume of The Stolen Future trilogy, is a return to fantastic adventures in alien lands.

And remember, if it lives up to the hype (which it does…), please leave a review or a rating on your favorite site.

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News and Notes

When you’re in the groove, and the writing is going well, you want to write more. You may not want to write more of anything vitally important, but you still want to write. So you think of a subject to fill four hundred words and you write a blog post. This particular four hundred words is in the form of the newsletter that I’ll probably never start.

What? you say. The writing is going well? What’s up with that? Okay, that will do.

I just finished the second draft of a short story which has been on-and-off for the past few months. I had a first draft, but I knew it had a big hole in the middle even as I finished, so I put the whole thing aside for a few weeks. (I write slowly, so things tend to incubate for a while.) Finally pieces started falling into place and I returned to it, whereupon more pieces fell into place, and now I think it’s about ready for someone to see. (Not you, my reader, you deserve better than a second draft.) I am quite pleased with the alterations I made and expect great things to result.

Speaking of “great things,” The Invisible City has been out from Digital Fiction Publishing for almost a week, and is moving along quite nicely, thank you. I fully expect that, when The Secret City and The Cosmic City come out, fame, fortune, and a Hollywood premiere will quickly follow. Invisible currently available for the debut price of $0.99 (but that won’t last). Think about it: 120,000 words of swashbuckling science fiction adventure for less than a buck. You could buy the whole trilogy for the price of a venti frappuccino. (If you do buy a copy, please consider leaving a review or a rating. It’s crazy helpful.)

But if shorter works are your bag, do not despair. I have an SF story about the importance of family, “Relative Fortune,” coming out in the November Galaxy’s Edge, and a fantasy adventure, “When Gods Fall in Fire,” in the upcoming issue of Cirsova.

And of course, my gorilla-centric unnamed novel is poking along. I still hope to finish it by the end of the year.

So that’s my life in a nutshell, with the emphasis on “nutty.” And it’s almost four hundred words…

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The Invisible City from DFP Live on Amazon

It’s here! The Invisible City has now officially been published by Digital Fiction Publishing! This is my first traditionally-published book, and for a limited time it’s available for 99 cents! The redesigned cover is below.

The Invisible City is the story of Charles Clee, a volunteer infantry officer in the hellish trenches of France in 1915, who disobeys orders to investigate what he thinks is an enemy trap. He’s right–but he also stumbles on an illegal time travel expedition from the 863rd century, and the only way to escape the Germans is to use the time machine, which traps him hundreds of thousands of years in the future!

Here he finds no Utopia, but a world seized by the same kinds of murderous hate he left behind, except that this Earth has been overrun by aliens and populated by laboratory-recreated versions all of the most dangerous animals of history, not to mention savage killers all too new to him.

Clee falls in love, only to have her kidnapped by one of the world’s most powerful men. In his quest to save her, he finds that there may still be a working time machine that could take him home. Now he must choose–will he stay with the world that needs him, or return to the world where he belongs?

The second and third volumes, The Secret City and The Cosmic City, will be available soon. You’re going to want to read them as soon as they come out, so I recommend you read The Invisible City now!

 

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Runners in First and Third

Nope, that’s not a typo, and this is not a baseball post. The timing is quite coincidental.*

One of the (many) eternal debates in writing circles is “first- versus third-person narrators.” It says nothing that proposing this topic as a conversation starter will like as not lead to a small-scale riot within fifteen minutes. (Pretty much any conversation about writing, among writers, is likely to start a small-scale riot within fifteen minutes, ten if alcohol is available.) At the same time, it does rank right up there with “Should I write novels or short stories?” and the granddaddy of them all, “Should I submit to markets run by people whose politics I disagree with?” (Which often gets sidetracked by “Is it really bad to end a sentence with a preposition?”–an argument sure to end in blood. And don’t ever mention the words “Oxford comma” in a roomful of writers!)

But I digress. Although I haven’t conducted a study, it is my impression that the first-person novel is frowned upon today. Personally, I often write in the first person (like now). For me, first-person narration makes it easier to get into my character’s head. Some would question the need for this, since the protagonist is often an idealized form of the writer, but for me, it allows a freedom of expression, because the narrator, through his words, is informing the reader about himself.

Normally, an author will show the reader the narrator’s character and motivations through his actions, and his reactions. I prefer a more direct route, a more personal path.  Perhaps this is because I am a science fiction writer, and my narrators are not always people you could meet on the street, or if they are, they are in extraordinary circumstances and I am interested in seeing how they respond, from the inside. (Hey, if I’m not interested, you certainly won’t be.)

Sometimes, my narrator isn’t even a person: In my latest novel, my narrator is a gorilla. How does one get into the point of view of a gorilla unless one becomes a gorilla? (In a manner of speaking.) There is no guarantee I will succeed–although I challenge anyone to tell me I failed–but I can’t think of a better way to try than with first-person narration.

It’s not true in every story, of course; I’ve written a lot of traditional third-person narratives. For me the choice comes at the beginning of the story, and generally it comes upon me already decided; I don’t choose how I’m going to tell the story because most stories choose it for themselves.

As with all of these controversies, it boils down to what’s right for the story, first- or third- person. I don’t have a preference.

Except second-person narration. Then we have a problem. And don’t even get me started on novels told in the present tense…

 

*Nevertheless, go Dodgers!

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The Big and Small, Long and Short

Now that I’m about to be published by a small press, it’s got me thinking more about the small press world. Specifically, how small presses are perceived in SF as opposed to the other realm about which I know something, mystery writing. I’ve heard from SF writers that small presses do not carry the cachet of major publishers; I’m not talking about money, which is an obvious discrepancy, but the idea that going with a small press in science fiction is seen as less prestigious, whereas in mysteries…not so much. Small press mysteries have much more chance of receiving awards, for example, than have small press SF or fantasy novels.*

Why is this? Why are mystery readers seem more accepting of non-traditionally published novels? I don’t know; I suspect the answer lies far in the past, but not having been part of the mystery scene all that long, I can’t say. (I’ll have to ask; maybe I can give you an answer in a future post.) But that’s not the only discrepancy between the two (publishing-wise), and perhaps the advantages don’t tilt all the way in favor of mysteries. Because you see, where mystery writers may have more opportunities when it comes to novels, SFF writers are far ahead when it comes to short fiction.

I did a little research, and it was surprisingly easy to learn a few facts: There are approximately 192 publishers on the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) site whose novel contracts qualify one for professional membership. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) web site lists about 53.** (Each of these allows more than the markets specifically listed, because of imprints, etc.)

On the other hand, where SFWA has 54 qualifying short story markets, MWA lists only 22. Now, I happen to know that there are dozens more SF short story markets whose acceptances do not count toward qualifying for SFWA, and there are probably equivalent mystery magazines, but I don’t doubt the former easily outnumber the latter.

Again, why is this? Are there more SFF readers than mystery readers? Is it too hard to write short mysteries? Or is it just that there are so many more novel markets out there that fewer bother to write short mystery fiction? Does that make it easier to break into science fiction?

Beats me. It’s a mystery. And maybe trying to raise the reputation of small press books is a fantasy. But I hope in the future it’s possible, because if it’s possible in the future, it becomes science fiction.

And that’s what I write.

 

*Yes, there are and have been exceptions. But they are just that, exceptions.

**I am a member of SFWA. I used to be a (non-professional) member of MWA, but their meetings were too far away.

#SWFApro

 

 

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THIS Was the Call I’ve been Waiting For

In a stunning bit of irony (as Spider Robinson said, “God is an Iron”), I recently wrote a post about “the phone call I was not waiting for,” a pitch from a book packager looking for my business in regard to one of my novels. Long story short, I decided their services were not for me. Even though every writer dreams of a call seeking to publish his book, this call was not the one I was waiting for. But as it happened, that “call” was on its way.

I’ve long believed that life can take a turn on you in an instant, not only for the worse, but for the better. It’s happened to me, and to friends to whom I have made that case, just often enough to be true. And it’s happened again.

As long-time readers are aware, my professional writing life has been in flux for several months, as I moved from short stories to self-published novels back to a sort of in-between state where things get done, but not at the pace they should. But no matter how confused I have been at times, I have always known that the best solution was to keep writing, and failing that, at least to keep submitting pieces. After all, nothing feels as good as having written a story–except selling it. So I try to submit stories as often as I can, as frequently as I have available stories and markets for which they might be suitable.

And sometimes it pays off.

I am thrilled to be able to announce that I have just signed with Digital Fiction Publishing (which previously reprinted “Dead Guy Walking”), to offer my entire “Stolen Future” trilogy under their imprint.

This is my first book deal (three at once!), and I am very confident that DFP will help me take my career to new heights. To say I am excited would be an understatement; had you been there when I read the acceptance email, you could have lifted my wallet and I never would have noticed.

Publication details are being worked out. Plan on seeing them here at the proper time.

A long time ago, I was told that every writer who kept at his craft long enough would succeed. It may have been the best advice I’ve ever received.

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My Onyx Anniversary

I just received my notice that my yearly SFWA dues are payable. This marks the seventh anniversary of my joining, the seventh anniversary of a milestone that I had dreamed of since I first learned that the organization even existed, back “when I wore a younger man’s clothes,” blissfully unaware of how long it would take to reach that goal.

I often ask myself if, had I known how long it would take me to gain some traction in the world of professional science fiction writing, I would have ever started. There were other paths I could have taken, more lucrative to be sure, paths that would have led to some prominence, or at least professional recognition, long before this. Had I known just how hard it was going to be to attain professional status, would I have said “That’s crazy,” and given up?

Certainly there were those who, with every good intention, informed me that the odds of being published were roughly 1 in 1,000, with the odds against making any serious money being far higher. Would I have listened, had I known then what I know now?

In fact, I rather think I would have. Looking back, I can see the naivete, not only in my assessment of my chances, but in my work. I needed to grow, and like the mighty oak, I grew slowly. (And also like the mighty oak, my upper reaches are filled with chittering squirrels, but that’s another story.) Yes, all those stories I wrote and sent out and got back and finally stuck in a box were useful practice, but I think my weakness (along with so many) was not stylistic, but material. I didn’t know enough about the world. I still don’t, but I know more than I did.

This is what I know: Style is important, but it isn’t paramount. A poorly-told story about interesting people will always win over a well-told tale that no one cares about. If your story is so badly constructed nobody can follow it, it can be fixed; that’s what editors are for. If your story is so uninteresting that nobody cares to follow it, it’s dead. No editor can resuscitate a dusty corpse.

So maybe I would’ve taken a different course. I know that no matter what I would’ve returned to writing eventually, and maybe I’d have fewer rejections filling those boxes. They say that at the end of your life, you regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did. On balance, although perhaps I would have done things differently had I known, I don’t regret the way I did them.

It may not have been the best-written story, but maybe it was the most interesting.

#SFWApro

 

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