Science fiction writers Steve Miller and Sharon Lee are surviving the demise of their former publisher by finding a way of making money (gasp) by "giving" away their writing (gasp gasp).

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The latest in a series: you can build anything with Legos...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:48 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Or, more properly, what's wrong with US publishers?

Here's a guy who has written a pile of novels and short stories. Heck, he's won an award or three (Hugo, Locus and John W. Campbell Memorial, to be specific). His stories and novels are interesting...thought-provoking...they stretch your mind.

So why is it that his short story collection is only published in the US by a relatively small publisher? Why is it that his latest novel, Incandescence, is the only one of his works widely available in the US (his UK publisher published his whole backlist)?

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:15 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Robert J. Sawyer expounds on Robert A. Heinlein's rules for writers. more...

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Upon the urging of some at SF Signal (although they may deny it), I took a look at the fiction set in the game universe known as Warhammer 40,000 (produced by Games Workshop). Some further research yielded recommendations from science fiction authors such as David Drake (who is going to be writing a "blurb" for one of the upcoming books) and John Lambshead (researcher, game designer, science fiction author who somehow finds time to play the game).

Well...with recommendations like those... more...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:33 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I had the extreme good fortune to not only have seven (see if you can figure out what seven) books autographed by Travis S. "Doc" Taylor tonight, but to have dinner and a couple of drinks with him as well. He is a gracious and funny guy, and while he tries hard to project a "one of the guys image", there were more than a couple of times this evening when my jaw was hanging open trying to follow the way his mind jumps around.

Remember Neil Anson Clemons from Warp Speed and Quantum Connection? How about William Weaver from Into the Looking Glass and beyond? Now I feel like I've met them for real!

Let's see...spacecraft design. Child rearing. Detecting extrasolar planets with off-the-shelf equipment. Shrodinger's Cat. Quantum computers. Quantum physics and organic quantum computers. The Monoceros Ring. Roger Penrose. Miguel Alcubierre. Gamma-ray bursters. The Looking Glass books, The Warp Speed books. Other books he is written, has partially written, would like to write... Authors and/or stories that we both like. RoboTech. Star Blazers. Space opera. "Doc" Smith and parallels with Warp Speed and other books. Robert A. Heinlein. Spider Robinson. Lasers. Exotic space propulsion systems. How to get to another star in one person's "career life". Life extension. The wisdom of ordering sushi in a restaurant that is obstensibly Italian in nature.

And a whole lot more.

Folks, he's a fascinating guy. He's a very nice guy. If you get a chance to meet up with him at a convention or a conference, do so! You won't be sorry!

"Doc", it was great meeting you. I appreciate all the autographs! And the fascinating conversation! Is beer the same as coffee for you (hypes you up)?

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:45 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Hey, guess who I'm having dinner with tomorrow night if all goes right?

Travis "Doc" Taylor!!!!

Time to be the raving fanboy!

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The Young Lady has been somewhat indifferent to science fiction and fantasy. There's the amusing time when my wife was flipping through channels, came across Forbidden Planet, and dismissed it as "Oh, that's a Daddy movie" to our daughter's inquiry. On the other hand, some of the things she has read on her own can be termed science fiction or that much-abused term "science fantasy". more...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:23 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Recovering from the loss of his Hugo, Dave Langford is back with another issue of Ansible (#254 in a series).

A 19-year winning streak came to its end at last, which frankly was something of a relief....

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