Joel Arnold's Blog, page 18

Libraries - what willst thou becomest?

There's a discussion over at another message board about whether or not libraries will become extinct due to everything going digital. People were discussing basically along the lines of whether or not everything will soon become paperless, and if so, couldn't a library just be accessed via computer, etc. (And not everyone agreed with that, but that's sort of the gist of the thread so far). I had a bit of a different perpective on all that - maybe 'cause both my folks were librarians - and since I'm rather passionate about the topic, I thought I'd repost my reply on the topic here:

"I agree that libraries will change with the time, but I don't think they'll go away. Libraries have always been (in my opinion) the cornerstone of a free society. It's free access to knowledge, and not just for a privileged segment of society. It's potentially one of the great equalizers - you can be as poor as poor can be, but with a library, you have the same right and access to the world's accumulated knowlege as anyone else."

I think if we lose our libraries, than in a way, we lose our democracy.

A couple shout outs

I can't remember if I mentioned this, but I got a Kindle 3 for my birthday, and I'm loving it. In the process of trying to promote my own ebooks, I've also found some other writers out there whose work I gave a try on my new K3, and I gotta tell ya, I've read some really great stuff. These are probably not books I would've normally picked up, just because the subject matter typically would not have been on my radar. But since I saw these writers posting on some of the same message boards I do, and they seemed like nice folks, I thought I'd give 'em a try. And I'm glad I did!

First off, we have David Dalglish, and his Half-Orc series, of which I've read the first two novels, The Weight of Blood, and The Cost of Betrayal. Sword and sorcery isn't something I really seek out, but like I said, I liked the cut of David's jib on the message boards, and so gave these novels a try. They're fantastic. Well-written, brutal at times, and very engrossing. I like that the main characters can be very evil at times, but it's hard not to sympathize with them. The second of the two books was even better than the first. I want to read the rest of the series, and will later, after getting through some more reading.

Then there's David McAfee and his vampire novel 33AD. Again, I don't typically go out of my way to find vampire novels, but McAfee is another friendly bloke out there on the boards, and his novel sounded pretty intriguing - it's about a vampire sent to assassinate Jesus. I really enjoyed this novel, too. Not at all preachy, not at all blasphemous (I'm not all that religious, but I don't really see that it would be offensive to anyone, unless they're normally offended by vampires.) This is violent and bloody (but not overly so) and well-written.

There are some other books I bought for my Kindle that I've read recently and enjoyed, and I'll give those a shout out at a later date.

But anyway, check out the two Davids above if you get a chance.

Subtle Shifts in the Space-Time Continuum

I was just thinking about how my writing has changed over the years. When I was a young'un, aside from trying to tell a good story, I also liked to throw in the element of shock. I liked the reaction I got from teachers and peers in high school as I often went for a good dose of visceral grossness. But as the years have gone by, I think the whole element of shock has gradually turned to a need to be achingly honest in my writing. I try to get to the truth through writing, whatever/who's ever truth that may be. I guess sometimes figurative truths can be just as shocking as trying to go for the gross-out.

Hell, does that even make any sense?

Maybe my attempts at honesty in my writing are just another form of trying to get a reaction. Maybe I'm still trying to go for the gross-out in a figurative sense, but am just couching it in pseudo-intellectual b.s.

Or maybe I shouldn't attempt to write in this blog when Dancing With the Stars is on in the background...

Apple Picking Day

Today we made our annual trek to an apple orchard. Although we do go out into the orchard and pick our own apples, we really go to be out in the fall weather, and to eat the baked goods they have there. Except...

Unfortunately, the apple orchard we've been going to, Minnesota Harvest out in Jordan, is on its last legs. It's been sold, and the building that used to have the delicious bakery has been pretty much gutted, and the horses are no longer outside (although they still had pony rides, which we don't typically do anyway) and there were no armies of pumpkins to choose from. At least we could still pick apples, which we did, and it was still a pleasant day. But man, was I ever looking forward to some apple baked something-or-other slathered with warm caramel and ice cream.

Ah, well - next year we shall find a new place to go.

Twin Cities Book Fest

Got back from the Twin Cities Book Festival a little while ago. It was nice to see some familiar faces, like Michael Merriam, Jaye Lawrence, Tyree Campbell, Michael Allan Mallory, Barbara DaCosta, Carl Brookins and Pat Dennis. I watched an interesting panel called "The Changing World of Publishing," in which I heard some good tips as far as getting word out about your books. A ninth-grade reading teacher in the audience mentioned how she shows her class a book trailer from YouTube at the end of every week, which she says has generated a number of students coming up to her afterward and asking her where to find the corresponding books. I entered a few drawings, won a 50% off coupon for a ticket to the Guthrie Theater, got some free lit mags, bought a couple $3 graphic novels for Paige (she's been really getting into making her own comic books) and got a neat dinosaur poster for Zachary for $5. Plus I bought Michael Merriam's recently released steampunk novella Horror at Cold Springs at the Sam's Dot Publishing table.

I was a little disappointed at the lack of free pens, however. C'mon, publishers! Bring more free crap! Although, to be honest, I got a really nice free tote bag from Coffee House Press, and some author whose name I can't remember (sorry...) was kind enough to give me a chocolate cookie stir spoon (the kind you stir coffee with, then eat it.)

Anyway, I had a nice time. There's just something about being surrounded by writers and readers and publishers and books that is very fulfilling.

Omnibus Rising!

Fetal Bait Apocalypse; 3 Collections in 1 is now available for the Nook!

And of course, it's still available for the Kindle, as well!

This contains my three short story collections;

Bait and Other Stories
Bedtime Stories for the Apocalypse
Fetal Position and Other Stories

for a total of over 120,000 words of horror, sci-fi and general mayhem.





Tune in for when I announce its availability in cuneiform !

Twin Cities Book Festival

This Saturday I'll be at the 10th annual Twin Cities Book Festival walking between the crowded tables and drooling. This thing is like pornography to me, except instead of flesh, it's tables full of freshly bound books crying out to me to paw them, open them, and breath deeply of their bookish musk. Plus, I can get a year's supply of pens from all the authors who have tables there! But anyway, I'll be the one wandering the aisles in bliss, my eyes open wide, my mouth agape, and my nipples rock hard.

Unfortunately, whenever I go to this thing, I never seem to have enough money to sate my appetite. In the past, there were times I could barely pay for parking in the ramp across the street, let alone buy some actual books. We'd always either just paid the mortgage, or payday was on the wrong end of its cycle, or our credit cards were maxed out. But this time...this time...I'll be able to pay for parking, get a Coke, and maybe, just maybe, buy a used book from the used book table! Score!!!

American Road Love

My article on the Herbert Hoover Highway down in Iowa is in the current issue  (Fall) of American Road Magazine. The theme is roads named for Presidents. My family drove that road this last Spring, staying at the Historic Lincoln Hotel B&B. It was a fun drive, and the landscape, mainly farmland, rolling hills and creeks, was refreshing. But anyway, take a look at the magazine if you get a chance. It's a fun periodical, and should be at your local Barnes & Noble or other seller of mags.

Gulliver Press Release

For Immediate Release: October 12, 2010

SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2010 GULLIVER TRAVEL RESEARCH GRANT WINNER

The Speculative Literature Foundation is delighted to announce that its 2010 Gulliver Travel Research Grant has been awarded to author Joel Arnold. The $800 grant will be used to help Arnold to travel to Wyoming and Montana to research his Native American steampunk novel, “Coyote Steam”.

One of the judges said of his writing sample: “This story had uncomfortable subject matter – racism, bodily mutilation, and painful legacies. It took effort to get through it…I thought I knew where Arnold was going…but then he went somewhere entirely different and resolved the story in a way that was both powerful and poignant. Days later, I was still thinking about it.”

Arnold’s stories have appeared in Pseudopod, Chizine, and Weird Tales, among others, and he has published several short story collections and three novels.

This year there were many excellent entries. Four Honourable Mentions were given:

Rob Davies

Nalo Hopkinson

Kate Milford

Michael Swanwick

The Gulliver Travel Research Grant is awarded to assist a writer of speculative fiction in his or her research. As in previous years, the 2010 grant of $800 is to be used to cover airfare, lodging, and/or other expenses relating to the research for a project of speculative fiction. The grant is awarded by a committee of Speculative Literature Foundation members on the basis of interest and merit.

The grant is named after Gulliver, a character in the 1726 story “Gulliver’s Travels” written by Jonathan Swift. The story represents one of the earliest examples of fantasy travel.

Applications for the 2011 Gulliver Travel Research Grant will open on July 1, 2011.

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PR Contact: press@speculativeliterature.org

The Speculative Literature Foundation is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the interests of readers, writers, editors and publishers in the speculative literature community.

Gulliver Travel Research Grant

I'm happy to announce that I won the Speculative Literature Foundation's Gulliver Travel Research grant! It will help fund a trip next summer to Wyoming and Montana to absorb some of the Crow culture for a Native American steampunk novel.