James Dorr's Blog, page 111

Gifts Too Late for Christmas, for Those Who Love Science (or Science Fiction . . . or Horror)

Lava is between 1,300 and 2,200 degrees. It’s so hot you wouldn’t even cook or burn — you would flash boil, which means all your water would turn to steam.  Since you’re mostly water, this is bad.  Once your water converted to gas you would turn into a bubbly mess, and all that bubbling would churn and broil the lava into big lava fountains.  These fountains can shoot up surprisingly high, five or six feet, and they would cover you in the stuff.

So haven’t you wondered what would happen if unfriendly zealots sacrificed you by tossing you into the local volcano?  Of course you have — but the above tells only part of the answer (for instance, if the heat weren’t a problem, the fall might very well kill you too).  And what about if you’re shot from a cannon?  Or swallowed by a whale?  Well, fret no more because answers can be [image error]had in AND THEN YOU’RE DEAD, by Cody Cassidy and Paul Doherty.  In fact, I’ve just ordered a copy from Amazon myself.

Why?  Well, I’m a horror writer and I just came across it on a list (ah, another of these . . . ), “21 Science Books that Make Excellent Gifts” by Mary Beth Griggs on POPSCI.COM, and finding a cheap copy how could I resist?  Another on the list for horror fans is one I already have, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, in which [m]ortician Caitlin Doughty looks at our approach to death across cultures and technologies, from “skeleton farms” to crematoriums to mummification rituals.  The author has a detached fascination with death, and after reading FROM HERE TO ETERNITY your friend might, too.  But if you like science fiction as well, you don’t have to have a science degree to read the other titles cited, such as PSYCHOLOGY:  THE COMIC BOOK INTRODUCTION or, pictured, THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.  Or SOONISH (on near-future technological likelihoods — lots of robots here), or ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY, or SPACEPORT EARTH.

So it’s not too late if you can find one of these in a bookstore (though for shopping on the web, the earliest for the one I just ordered is stated as December 29) but Christmas gifting’s not the real point, is it?  The point is these are books you might want to have for yourself.

For more, press here.

No Place to Hide Cops Astounding Outpost “Editors Choice”

Woo hoo!  We may recall from December 7, et al., that voting was ending for best story in Astounding Outpost’s NEURAL NETS, UPLINKS, AND WETWARE anthology, in which my story “No Place to Hide” appears.  Results are now in!  0riginally published in the long-dead pro magazine SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW in 1991, “No Place to Hide” has ended up in a hotly contested tie for eighth place.  But wait — there’s more.

As it happens, in addition to first, second, and third places, there was one other award to be given.  Or, to quote from the guidelines:  In addition, one story picked by the editors, not voters, will receive 15 dollars via paypal and a custom T-shirt from the Astounding Outpost.  This is the equivalent of the second voted-on prize in terms of loot received (in more recent anthologies, a print copy will replace the T-shirt, but NEURAL NETS is the last [image error]that’s available in Kindle form only) and, as it turns out, it seems there’s a dance in the old dame yet.*  Or, to quote again from the source:   After a very rough editorial battle, we can announce the WINNERS OF Neural Nets, Uplinks, and Wetware.  First place goes to Burner, second goes to Catching Cameron Ellis, third to Never Lonely.  The editors choice goes to No Place to Hide.  Congratulations to the Neural Nets winners.  To check out the site for oneself, press here (then, to find the stories as well, press “Astounding Stories” at the upper right, but be prepared to scroll way, way down since the stories to be in the next anthology are in the process of being added).

One might then add that all stories, including the winners, can be read in the Kindle edition of NEURAL NETS, UPLINKS, AND WETWARE which may be purchased by clicking here.  (And also all writers receive a royalty on copies sold, so if enough of you . . . well, it does add up.)

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*”a dance. . . ,” incidentally, is actually a quote that I couldn’t resist from ARCHY AND MEHITABEL (1927), one of a series of books by Don Marquis.  The specific poem is “The Song of Mehitabel,” the memoir of a somewhat disreputable alley cat (Triana, take note!) as transcribed by her friend, the cockroach Archy, and may be read by pressing here.

tourjours gai tourjours gai

Closing Out the Year in Film: 13 Best for Horror

Roughly half the movies cited in “13 Best Horror Movies of 2017,” by Orrin Grey on THE-LINE-UP.COM, are also noted in July 5’s post, below, “Best 2017 Horror Films Thus Far” — which figures, if you think about it.  So, THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER (check), IT (check), THE GIRL WITH THE GIFTS (check), RAW (check), they’re all [image error]there.  THE DEVIL’S CANDY (check).  Six films in all, and now seven are added to represent the year’s second half, such as HAPPY DEATH DAY and BETTER WATCH OUT.  THE BELKO EXPERIMENT. . . .

It’s all just one person’s opinion, of course, but for a fear-filled Christmastide’s viewing it’s one place to start, for more on which press here.

Thursday Night Triple Feature; And Speaking of (Cthulhu) Christmas. . . .

Last night brought 2017’s closing “Second Thursday Players Pub Spoken Word Series” (cf. October 13, et al.), co-sponsored by the Bloomington Writers Guild, and featuring three radio play presentations, Lucille Fletcher’s SORRY, WRONG NUMBER; Ray Bradbury’s IT BURNS ME UP!; and by William S. Burroiughs, THE JUNKY’S CHRISTMAS.  Added were musical performances by local group Urban Deer and an open mike session with six takers, in which I appeared fourth.  It was an interesting and exciting evening, a little bit out of the normal run, my par[image error]t of which was a “First Sundays” reprise of my short short “The Worst Christmas Ever” (see December 4), this time to a largely different audience.  Also as an extra, cover charge proceeds were earmarked this time to the upcoming “Wounded Galaxies Festival 1968:  Paris, Prague, Chicago Festival and Symposium,” scheduled for February next year, more of which will most likely be covered here (and for which in the meantime, including schedules, one can press here).

Then speaking of Christmas, DEADMAN’S TOME CTHULHU CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (for which see December 12, et al.) has proposed a competition, or in Editor/Publisher Jesse Dedman’s words:  We’re approaching the end of 2017, and that means it’s time for a popularity contest.  Now, remember that this is all in good fun.  I personally will sit out on this vote as I enjoy every story in this collection, but please don’t follow my example.  Spread the link out to as many people as possible.  What does the winner get?  C’mon, shouldn’t the reception be the prize?  How about some beer money?  $20 bucks (PayPal) and a certificate.  The contest and voting is care of Patreon and can be reached here.

To remind, MY story (*ahem*) is third on the list, “A Christmas Carnage,” recently cited by “JME” in her review on Amazon (December 12).  And, technically, you don’t even have to have read the book to vote on the stories (though you really should — there’s a link on the voting page as well to where you can buy CTHULHU CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, in my opinion a great book for giving to one’s [twisted] friends too!).  So do consider, buy, and vote (again, that’s “A Christmas Carnage”), okay?

Net Neutrality? What We May Lose If Repealed

Those that follow me on Facebook may have noted my occasional posting of petitions to save/preserve/keep the principle of Net Neutrality.  In effect net neutrality treats internet connection as a public utility, with providers required to play, as it were, on a level field.  But what does this really mean (the major providers answering, of course, that they’d never do anything that wasn’t completely “fair”)?  On the eve of passage of new FCC rul[image error]es concerning the internet, enter POPULARMECHANICS.COM with “Are We In the Twilight of the Internet’s Golden Age?” by Eric Limer for possible answers.

Insofar as this blog is a creature of the internet, I (and you) have skin in this game.  So to see more, press here.

Christmas Carnage Features in Cthulhu Christmas Review

And speaking of things not overly jolly, let us hark back to November 26’s post (see also November 11; January 18 2016, et al.), “Cthulhu Christmas Special Cover Revealed, Publication Set for December 1,” and note that [image error]DEADMAN’S TOME CTHULHU CHRISTMAS SPECIAL AND OTHER LOVECRAFTIAN YULETIDE TALES is now out in both Kindle and print.  And it’s also already picked up a review, by “JME” who has noted four stories out of a total 11 for special mention.  AND the first of these mentioned is “A Christmas Carnage,” by me:  A favorite, this story is aptly named.  Lots of carnage, and in a sick way for a sick purpose.  Who comes up with this stuff?

(*A moment while I sit, quietly proud.*)

To see for oneself, one may press here.  And then click the book’s title above the review for more information, including ordering.  It’s a short book, listed as only 82 pages, but judging from the stories and poems I’ve read thus far, worth it!

Quietly Apocalyptic: Bête Noire Takes Even Odds

The poem, that is, “Even Odds” was on a quietly apocalyptic theme, the end of the world and all.  Then Sunday night word came from Editor A.W. Gifford that we shall all have a chance to read it.  Thank you for submitting “Even Odds” to BÊTE NOIRE.  We are pleased to inform you that your work has been accepted for publication in our fall [image error]issue due out in October, 2018.  So it will be a while before it’s published, nearly a year, but hey, remember, it’s apocalyptic (though quietly so, one must emphasize) and we wouldn’t the world to end too soon, now would we?

BÊTE NOIRE specializes in fiction and poems that are, to quote the guidelines, well written, character driven and have a dark bent to them.  We are open to most genres as long as they have a dark side.  This includes horror, dark sci-fi, dark fantasy, crime, mystery or dark humor.  So we might expect, even with Christmas fast approaching, “Even Odds” is unlikely to be exactly jolly.

But then if it were, it probably wouldn’t have been accepted.

Society of Misfit Stories Copy Received; Writers Guild Year’s End Party

Two quick Saturday items, the first of which is the receipt of a large paperback copy of THE SOCIETY OF MISFIT STORIES PRESENTS. . . , VOLUME ONE.  This is the hard copy version of Bards and Sages Publishing’s first year’s collection of longer stories, that is ones hard to place in most electronic magazines, etc., because of their length.  And mine, “By Force and Against the King’s Peace,” a magical courtroom [image error]drama originally published in ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, appears first in the book, a result of it winning a readers poll in its electronic version (cf. October 16, January 19, et al.).  For more, one may press here.

Then today also marked the Bloomington Writers Guild’s Year End Party and Annual General Business Meeting Plus Open Mic, for which I presented orange slices for the pitch-in refreshments, and eight very recent, very short, epigrammatic poems for the readings.  One of which, “Wet Work,” was my most recently published poem in the current STAR*LINE (see December 2, et al.), while the others, thus far unpublished, were “From the Zombie Hunters Field Guide:  Tracking the Zombie,” “The Young Transylvanian’s Guide to Dating:  Taking Your Date Home,” “Never Trust a Vampiress,” “What She Learned,” “Oh No She Didn’t?,” “City of Angels,” and “Land of Milk and Honey.”

Astounding Outpost, Last Day to Vote for No Place to Hide; Tombs Bargains Also on Barnes and Noble

We may recall from last Friday that voting had started for best story in Astounding Outpost’s NEURAL NETS, UPLINKS, AND WETWARE anthology, in which my story “No Place to Hide” appears (see December 1).  The “prize” for the three top vote-getters is a bit more pay for their stories, but last I looked my story was running in about [image error]eighth place.  Well, okay, so in a way it may really be more a popularity contest, at least in part, for Astounding Outpost “regulars” of which I’m not one, but still. . . .

Well, still, votes are nice, and in the words of the immortal Yogi Berra (I think) it ain’t over till it’s over, so herewith be reminded that voting was to be for one week only, making today the LAST DAY.  So, should one have the urge, one may read “No Place to Hide” by pressing here, or, more to the immediate point, the page for voting can be found here.

Also, just below (December 4) I noted that bargain prices for my novel-in-stories TOMBS:  A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH were still available on Amazon, both in print and in Kindle (for which *ahem* one may press the book’s picture in the center column).  A quick check today shows that substantial discounts are also to be found from Barnes and Noble, at least in print (though NOOK copies are also available for $8.49, marked down from $8.99), notably one copy for as low as $8.98.  Perhaps your favorite book dealer has discounted copies too.  Or, in any event, to check out B & N’s prices (and check as well for special sales which may apply, one of which that ends December 10 may be good for an additional 25 percent off one item with the code GETGIFTING), though with fewer reviews on their site, one need but press here.

Tombs Bargains on Amazon; First Sunday Readings Includes Worst Christmas Ever

For those who may have a hankering to give a read to TOMBS: A CHRONICLE OF LATTER-DAY TIMES OF EARTH, the novel-in-stories of which you may have been seeing a bit about in some past posts, Amazon has been offering fairly substantial discounted prices for some while now.  A check today (lSunday), in fact, saw the print edition offered for only $9.36 (that’s compared to a cover price of $14.95) and the Kindle edition at $6.29 (compared to $8.99), though I have no idea how long these bargains may [image error]last.  I also don’t know how that will affect the royalty that comes to me, if at all, but — especially with Stoker voting season coming up soon, for those reading this who might be members of HWA — now might be a propitious time to buy.  And that goes double should you be searching for that perfect, but bizarre gift for a horror-loving (or dystopic science fiction, or dark romance, or far-future science fantasy) special friend.  Just click on its picture in the center column, or else press here.

Then, speaking of Christmas, while I missed November’s Bloomington Writers Guild “First Sunday Prose Reading & Open Mic,” this afternoon brought the December edition and, unfortunately, last to be hosted by Boxcar Books (or, capitalism strikes again and small bookstores tend not to last forever, though part of their mission may be revived at a new location).  Be that as it may, today’s featured readers were Shana Ritter who read from a just completed novel about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in the late 15th century, this part told from the point of view of a teen-age girl in one of the affected families, and Writers Guild founding member and prior chairperson Patsy Rahn with a portion of a short fantasy called “The Reality Game.”  Snacks were served, then following custom it was time for walk-on readers of which I was third of four with a seasonal story originally published in DARK JESTERS (Novello Publishers, 2006), “The Worst Christmas Ever,” from the point of view of a not-too-competent Santa’s elf about . . . well . . . a pretty bad Christmas.