Ernest Hogan's Blog, page 75

CHICANONAUTICA FACES THE ARIZONA ELECTION FALLOUT

My latest Chicanonautica over at La Bloga looks at the fallout of the election in Arizona – and of course, it spills over beyond the borders.
This one goes out to Joe Arpiao on his re-election:

Here a flash of the reaction at the University of Mississippi:



Meanwhile dissatified Americanos in all fifty states 
have signed petitions to secede from the Union:

I think everybody's gotta lighten up:

KEEP ARIZONA WEIRD!

Yá át ééh, amigos!

Yes, I live in Arizona.

You've been hearing a lot about this state in the news lately.

People often ask, “How can you stand living in such a horrible place?”

Actually I love living here.

The current politilcal turmoil is just the frosting of a layer cake that goes down to the center of the earth, and back before dinosaurs roamed these deserts.

Weirdness all the way down, and all the way up into outer space.

It's inspiring!

Everywhere I go in Arizona, I find something that sends my sci-fi Chicano mind spinning off into a creative tangent.

The landscape itself is hallucinogenic.

And what it causes human beings to do!

It allows me to be the best rampaging, dadaistic, hoodoo Chichmec that I can be.

Keep Arizona weird!

CHICANONAUTICA REPORTS ON ARIZONA ELECTION DELIRIUM

Over at La Bloga, Chicanonautica reports on how the election is affecting the psyches of the citizens of Arizona.
Here' a salute to how things use to be:

And Joe Arpaio is still protecting Maricopia County:

After all, there's a border war going on:

And what about those aliens?

Even fast food corporations are eager to cash in on the situation:

PRIZE-WINNING JOURNALIST INTERVIEWS ERNESTO

DA Kentner got in touch with me just in time for Dead Daze. I reveal inside information about my career, and tell of upcoming projects while trying to be witty. Read it now!

FREE SMOKING MIRROR BLUES ON DEAD DAZE!

Got a Kindle? Get Smoking Mirror Blues for FREE! $0.00!
Hurry, because this deal is only happening from October 31st– Halloween – to November 3rd – NOT the 4thlike I mistakingly said in a couple of postings (I really should catch some rest this weekend). This takes us through los Días de los Muertos, with an extra Saturday. Download early and often.
Yes, Dead Daze is alive and well . . .

SEXY SMOKING MIRROR BLUES GUEST POST ALERT

I've got a guest post over at the Sleeping Hedgehog telling the inside story of how the tantric sex scene in the beginning of Smoking Mirror Blues scared away a cover artist. It's called “Curse of the Glittering Vagina, Or, How Tantric Yoga Cost Me a Cover.”
This was the first edition of Smoking Mirror Blues, a trade paperback that's still available from Wordcraft of Oregon.
I didn't think I was writing a “dirty” book, but it's amazing how many of the reviewers thought to warn potential readers about the sex:
There are touches of erotica here too, which might offend some longtime SF readers . . . James Palmer, Strange Horizons Hogan comes right at you with graphic depictions of sex. . .Jack Mangan, SF Reader.Com . . . really brings the diversity in terms of ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation of the characters. SciFiLatino.com
. . . full of sex of many kinds, including tantric . . . Green Man Review
So, consider yourself warned.

CHICANONAUTICA ANNOUNCES THE SMOKING MIRROR BLUES/DEAD DAZE DEAL

Chicanonautica, over at La Bloga, is announcing a special Dead Daze deal: From October 31stto November 4thyou'll be able to get my novel Smoking Mirror Blues for free! It's chock full of Sex! Violence! Religion! Politics! Brain-zapping music! An Aztec god running amok in a futuristic Hollywood! Just the thing to read on your Halloween/Días de los Muertos weekend!
To get you in the mood here's some Dead Daze-y videos:
Here's the traditional Días:

And the Dead Daze interface:

Megaofrendas are growing into marco-ofrendas:

And going wild in the streets:

PREHISTORY OF SMOKING MIRROR BLUES

Smoking Mirror Blues has a long prehistory, and went through some bizarre transformations before it became the novel it is today. An earlier, shorter version of it was published back in the July 1993 issue of Science Fiction Age thanks to editor Scott Edelman.

Here's a closer view of the corner with my name:

“Cybergod in L.A.” is headlinese for the actual title of the story, “Tezcatlipoca Blues.” According to Jamie Todd Rubin, "This was the first and only Ernest Hogan story that I have ever read and at first I didn't think I was going to like it but in the end I did."
I was struggling to sell it as a novel with that title. After a few phone calls in which I got to hear New Yorkers struggle to pronounce Tezcatlipoca, I decided to translate the wizard/warrior's name into English.
“Tezcatlipoca Blues” has a wonderful illustration by Fred DeVita

Fred called the painting “Beto.” I have a framed copy of it in my house. His electronic teponaztle and Beto are pretty much dead on.
Fred has dropped off the interweb radar. Anybody know what happened to him? I can't seem to take a few steps without running into another mystery.
Maybe it's me. Maybe it's Tezcatlipoca.

CHICANONAUTICA MEETS THE RETURN OF SMOKING MIRROR BLUES

This time Chicanonautica, over at La Bloga, is devoted to the return of Smoking Mirror Blues as an ebook on Kindle Select. Click over there for all the exciting details.
Have a good look at the mask of Tezcalipoca, the novel's “hero.” Yes, it is made out of a real human skull:

And here's a musical tribute to the Mirror That Smokes, and a few other Aztec gods:

Since it's all about the collision of Halloween and Día de los Muertos, fusing into Dead Daze:


Did you know about megaofrendas?

Getting sci-fi futuristic, how about ofrenda art out of recycled materials?

SMOKING MIRROR BLUES ON KINDLE!

Tezcatlipoca is smiling. Smoking Mirror Blues is back via Kindle KDP Select, so you can not only buy it, but Amazon Prime members can borrow it through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library, and I'll be doing a special Dead Daze giveaway promotion during the Halloween/Día de los Muertos weekend.
Though if you can't wait, go ahead and buy it. Tezcatlipoca and I will both smile.
This is an experiment to see how the KDP Select thing works. Everything is experimental these days – especially if you're a writer. I'll report on how it works out.
Meanwhile, I'll be doing some serious self-promotion. Or is that book promotion? Or Tezcatlipoca promotion?
Let the games begin!