James Dorr's Blog, page 148

Humans Beware! Has the Robot Takeover Already Begun?

Well, it’s partly tongue in cheek, but there is that go-playing program, and we humans gave up our mastery in chess decades ago.  But serving up hamburgers — what will become of the US economy?  Or, as Jon Comulada puts it in his introduction to “5 Robots You Should Be Keeping Your Eye On.  For the Sake of Humanity,” on UPWORTHY.COM:

Every movie about a robot uprising has the same scene:  You know, the one where someone explains that it didn’t start out ALL bad.

It’s usually followed by a flashback where we’re shown that human technology was progressing, we were building better and smarter machines and sitting back to marvel at our technological advances.

Then, before anyone knew what hit them, humanity became slaves to our new robot overlords.

Is that warning enough?  To see more, press here.

Winter BSFA Focus Springs Forth

Saturday was writers group day (in which yet another “Casket Girls” story was on the griddle) after which, lurking in my mailbox back home, what should I find but the Winter 2015-16 issue of FOCUS (see February 7)?  This is the British Science Fiction Association magazine oriented toward writers, but which also contains, on page 34 as an on-board sticky note alerted me, Poetry Editor Charles Christian’s column “Poetry From the Stars” in which is, as first of seven poems and a sixteen entry “Scifaiku” section, my poem “On the Other Hand.”  “On the Other Hand” is my take on why a marriage between King Kong and femme fatale Fay Wray could never have lasted, and was first published by the BSFA in the August 2015 GRIEVOUS ANGEL.

“On the Other Hand,” incidentally, is also a finalist in this year’s Rhysling Poetry Competition, sponsored by the (US-based) Science Fiction Poetry Association in the “short poems” division (see March 17,  just below), of which more here as it becomes known.  And, as for FOCUS — a nicely put together issue and one I look forward to reading more thoroughly —  as the editors have explained, an actual appearance a month or so after the date on the cover is not that rare a thing.

For Saint Patrick’s Day Fear, Ten Irish Monsters; 2016 Rhysling Proof Copy Returned

Another list but this one’s a nice one — with even a couple of lady vampires!  For  “The Scariest Monsters and Demons from Celtic Mythology” by Jane Walsh, courtesy of Scott M. Goriscak on THE HORROR SOCIETY,  please to peruse IRISHCENTRAL.COM here.

Then a bit of business to round out the day, yesterday brought a proof copy of 2016’s RHYSLING ANTHOLOGY, the collection of finalists for this year’s Science Fiction Poetry Association long and short poetry competition.  My entry here is about a different monster, King Kong, and why his tragic romance with Fay Wray was doomed to failure, originally published in August in GRIEVOUS ANGEL (cf. February 7 2016, September 5 2015, et al.).  Happily I have just reported back that I found no errors.

Museum of All Things Awesome and That Go Boom, Bubba Claus Book Launch Website Live (and Ebook Can even be Ordered in Ireland)

The dawning of Saint Patrick’s Day brings news from Publisher Joanne Merriam of Upper Rubber Boot Books.  But let her tell us first via Facebook:

I am the proudest of this book launch website that I’ve ever been about any promotional idea ever.  Go check it out! I’ll be keeping the blog updated with alien art, actual historical artifacts which had to be smuggled off Earth when Timeline B invaded, creative weaponry, and more!

MATAGB (the book) contains work by Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, Kristin Bock, Alicia Cole, Jim Comer, James Dorr, Aidan Doyle, Tom Doyle, Estíbaliz Espinosa, Kendra Fortmeyer, Miriam Bird Greenberg, Benjamin Grossberg, Julie Kelsey, Nick Kocz, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Ken Liu, Kelly Luce, Tim Major, Katie Manning, Martha Mccollough, Marc McKee, Sequoia Nagamatsu, Ursula Pflug, Erica Satifka, Matthew Sanborn Smith, Christina Sng, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Lucy Sussex, Sonya Taaffe, Mary A. Turzillo, Deborah Walker, Nick Wood, K. Ceres Wright, and Ali Znaidi and the book can be pre-ordered in the gift shop by people in Canada and the USA (and the ebook by people everywhere) — will be adding countries as I can figure out shipping etc.

And so, no, the Irish can’t pre-order their print copies yet, but the ebook will be available to all (and the print, one hopes, soon).  But happy St. Patrick’s Day anyhow!  My corned beef in this cauldron (with cabbage, natch), I might add, is an out-of-place Christmas tale titled “Bubba Claus Conquers the Martians,” reprinted from Yard Dog Press’s 2007 HOUSTON, WE’VE GOT BUBBAS.  With zombies.  But information on all can be found here, of which, to quote just a little bit:

Articles in the MATAGB Collection include artifacts, equipment, weapons, clothing, disguises, letters, taxidermied kills, holodeck simulators based on actual memories in amber, exotic life forms, artwork, vehicles, technologies, listening devices, and memorabilia and insignia designed, manufactured, or used by swashbucklers, pirates, ninjas, adventurers, privateers, spaceship commandos, illuminati, and intelligence organizations now and in the past.

And the table of contents (albeit perhaps not in final order):

    Khadija Anderson, “Observational Couplets upon returning to Los Angeles from Outer Space”

    Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, “Photograph of a Secret”

    Kristin Bock, “I Wish I Could Write a Poem about Pole-Vaulting Robots”

    Alicia Cole, “Asteroid Orphan”

    Jim Comer, “Soldier’s Coat”

    James Dorr, “Bubba Claus Conquers the Martians”

    Aidan Doyle, “Mr. Nine and the Gentleman Ghost”

    Tom Doyle, “Crossing Borders”

    Estíbaliz Espinosa, “Dissidence” (translated by Neil Anderson)

Kendra Fortmeyer, “Squaline”

    Miriam Bird Greenberg, “Brazilian Telephone”

    Benjamin Grossberg, “The Space Traveler and Runaway Stars”

    Julie Bloss Kelsey, two scifaiku

    Nick Kocz, “The Last American Tiger”

    David Kopaska-Merkel, “Captain Marshmallow”

    Ken Liu, “Nova Verba, Mundus Novus”

    Kelly Luce, “Ideal Head of a Woman”

    Tim Major, “Read/Write Head”

    Katie Manning, “Baba Yaga’s Answer”

    Laurent McAllister, “Kapuzine and the Wolf: A Hortatory Tale”

    Martha McCollough, “valley of the talking dolls” and “adventures of cartoon bee”

    Marc McKee, “A Moment in Fill-In-The-Blank City”

    Sequoia Nagamatsu, “Headwater LLC”

    Jerry Oltion, “A Star Is Born”

    Richard King Perkins II, “The Sleeper’s Requiem”

    Ursula Pflug, “Airport Shoes”

    Leonard Richardson, “Let Us Now Praise Awesome Dinosaurs”

    Erica L. Satifka, “Thirty-Six Questions Propounded by the Human-Powered Plasma Bomb in the Moments Before Her Imminent Detonation”

    G. A. Semones, “Never Forget Some Things”

    Matthew Sanborn Smith, “The Empire State Building Strikes Back!”

    Christina Sng, “Medusa in LA”

    J. J. Steinfeld, “The Loudest Sound Imaginable”

    Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, “The Wanderers”

    Lucy Sussex, “A Sentimental, Sordid Education”

    Sonya Taaffe, “And Black Unfathomable Lakes”

    Mary Turzillo, “Pride”

    Deborah Walker, “Sea Monkey Mermaid”

    Nick Wood, “The Girl Who Called the World”

    K. Ceres Wright, “The Haunting of M117”

    Ali Znaidi, “A Dolphin Scene” and “Australian Horoscope”

Great Tomes Update Includes ToC; Vamps New Edition in the Works

Yesterday brought an update from Bards and Sages Publishing to the effect that the first of the “Great Tomes” books, THE GREAT TOME OF FORGOTTEN RELICS AND ARTIFACTS is proceeding on schedule and should be available at most locations before the end of the month (cf. March 12, et al.).  Also, while first announced last January, to pique readers’ interest here is an up to date table of contents.  For the moment, pre-orders can be made at Createspace here or, for the Kindle edition, at Amazon here.

The Candle Room by James S. Dorr

The Heart of Irelda by Jeff Sullins

Her Long Hair Shining by Simon Kewin

Digging for Paradise by Ian Creasey

Light Bringer by Deborah Walker

The Nimrod Lexicon by Taylor Harbin

Life Sentence by Miranda Stewart

The Shepherd by CB Droege

The Rightful Owner by Linda Tyler

The Head of John the Baptist by G. Miki Hayden

The Binding Agent by Douglas J. Ogurek

Seamus Tripp and the Golden Plates byRichard Walsh and Jon Garrett

Oracle at Delphi Street by Jon Etter

Special Collections by Jon Etter

The Djinn at the Wheel by Kathy L. Brown

For a second item, some may have noticed the orange cover of the poetry book VAMPS (A RETROSPECTIVE) has been missing from the center column of late.  This is in part because a new edition is in the works from White Cat Publications, complete with a new cover and slightly altered table of contents (the latter primarily consisting of some tweaks in the order of the poems to bring it closer to the original MS, but also the addition of a new poem, “Metal Vamp,” which had been inadvertently left out [my fault, not the original publisher’s] of the first edition).  Prior posts on VAMPS include September 8 and March 12 2013, July 10 2012, et al.; also an essay on VAMPS, with sample poems, can be found by clicking “Poetry (Essays)” under PAGES in the right-hand column and scrolling down one entry (to where it says “From BLOOD & SPADES. . . .”).  More details will appear on these pages as they are announced.

Yes, It’s Another List, this Time for Quirky Fantasy Fans

And it’s twenty-five more than quirky fantasy movies in all, starting with Fritz Lang’s 1924 two-part DIE NIBELUNGEN and including ones like Jodorowsky’s  THE HOLY MOUNTAIN, THE SEVEN FACES OF DR. LAO, and Richard Elfman’s FORBIDDEN ZONE (yes, the one with the rendition of “Minnie the Moocher” by The Mystic Knights of the Oingo-Boingo and Marie-Pascale Elfman in the role of “Frenchy”).  It’s “25 Cult Fantasy Films That Are Worth Your Time” by Paul J. VanTassle on TASTEOFCINEMA.COM, belatedly courtesy of Mike Olson (who actually posted it Thursday, but sometimes it takes me a little while to read my  email) via ON THE EDGE CINEMA.  And I’ve actually seen — and even own! — an admirable number of these myself, but be that as it may, you *MUST* check it out by pressing here.

“And It Is Live! Welcome to the Dystopian Express!”

These were the words on Editor F.L. Hall’s Facebook page this morning, announcing that DYSTOPIAN EXPRESS (see November 24 2015, et al.) has been published — at least in Kindle form.  Or, the day before, “It took a little over a year but good things come to those who wait.  Later today or early tomorrow we will have the Launch of Dystopian Express from Hydra Publications!” And the print edition is to follow soon, while the ebook edition can now be found here.  To quote from the blurb:  “What happens when every aspect of your life is managed, manipulated, and controlled by someone else.  Everyone is guaranteed the opportunity to suffer equally for the greater good in this dystopian society.  . . .   Your possessions, your body, and even your thoughts, belong to them and not yourself.  What will you do?

“Jump on board and witness how the landscape has changed as we ride the rails of the Dystopian Express.”

My tale in this turmoil is one called “Invisible People,” originally published in DARK INFINITY for Winter 1992-93, which is one of transition.  What happens when some people are just forgotten, no longer existing as far as society is concerned.  Perhaps because they lost a job, thus written off because they no longer contribute.  Or even now, do you even notice the homeless guy on the street with with the tin cup, or has he become all but invisible to us already?

So all aboard, eh?

At the Movies: Eco-Disaster, Norwegian Style

There’s a thing about Norwegian Fjords, highly scenic narrow inlets surrounded by tall, steep mountains.  If a mountainside should collapse — which they sometimes do — there will be a tsunami which will cross that fjord as a possibly eighty-meter high wave in a very short time.   Thus tonight at the Indiana University cinema the screening was the Norwegian film THE WAVE, in which geologist-hero Kristin who works for the local resort community’s warning center is getting ready, with his family, to move on to a new, cushy job with an oil company.  Indeed, they’re packed up and will move tomorrow except that Kristin, who has trouble leaving his old gig behind, notices something funny on the sensors that measure the local mountain’s activity.  It’s all a bit odd, though — nothing to worry about most likely, except the family is delayed one more night and Mom, in the meantime, what with the tourist season just starting, decides to help out in her just-resigned head night clerk role at the local hotel.

Well, you can probably see what’s coming.  These types of movies do have a pattern, but nevertheless it’s well done, especially in the movie’s first half as more anomalous signals come in, geologists in the field gather more data, and one sees the big one gathering steam with the same never-quite-complete vision the characters themselves would have.  Until, that is . . . well, the movie has been praised for beautiful mountain photography and, when it starts to let loose. . . .

The family dynamic works nicely in THE WAVE too.  The acting is good, though as a writer I did have one qualm.  One of the characters acts irresponsibly, although in innocence, but in a way that later may have caused a number of deaths and which therefore gave me trouble rooting for the character to survive.  But it brings up a moral question as well which is worth considering:  to what extent might one risk other people’s lives in order to try to save one he or she loves?

I don’t think it’s easy, and in this I found THE WAVE more thought provoking than the average disaster flick.  Add to that the first part’s suspense as the disaster approaches, plus nice photography in general, plus, when it happens with a warning time of only ten minutes for a whole town to be evacuated, a realization of how many dumb things can just go wrong, and I found it an interesting evening’s viewing.

And Here’s One for Free, for Night Sky Gazers

And here’s a second post for Monday, but this one’s for free stuff, the only penalty being a willingness to step outside in the late hours of night.  Vampire time, yes — with the neighborhood werewolves’ howls in the distance.  But this is different, especially for science fiction fans perhaps but also for all with a sense of wonder.  Wonder and awe.

The article is courtesy of UPWORTHY.COM by Heather Libby, “19 Amazing Things You Don’t Want to Miss in the Night Sky in 2016.”  And one need but press here to read, see, and enjoy.

Read an Ebook Week Sales Offered through Saturday

Untreed Reads Publishing has noted that in addition to their own March sale (see March 1, February 28), there are two others that might be of interest in terms of tales by me.  The occasion is “Read an Ebook Week” (yes, this is the first I’ve heard of it too!) which runs from yesterday, Sunday March 6th, to Saturday the 12th, and one participant is Drivethrufiction.com, whose specialty tends to be science fiction and horror.  So check out their site for bargain prices on two Untreed Reads chapbooks, the Christmas horror tale I’M DREAMING OF A. . . . and the near-future, dystopian sf novelette PEDS.  This one, incidentally, is for the whole month though, through March 31st, just like Untreed Reads’s own sale and you might want to compare their discounts too by pressing the pictures in the center column just to make sure you’re getting the best price.

And then for the other, this one ending the 12th, the rules seem a bit complicated to me so I’ll quote directly from Untreed Reads’s email:  25-50% off depending on how long a title has been out.  A few titles are 75% off if they’ve been out a significant amount of time.  No titles are being given away for free and any title priced at $0.99 is not discounted.  Purchasers have to enter a coupon code to get the discounted price during checkout.  Since a coupon code is required to get the lower price, there are no price matching issues between Smashwords and Amazon.

I don’t have a Smashwords account myself and, lacking that, have no idea where I would find their coupon code, but those more sophisticated than I no doubt know its secret.  I did run a search myself for my titles and ended up here, not on a page for Untreed Reads chapbooks but (after you scroll past the initial listings for one “F B Dorr”) a list of twenty-some anthologies by various publishers, most of which (the exceptions are PRESIDENTIAL PULP and the nonfiction title) contain stories by me.  But as for whether or not these are discounted, as said already, finding out apparently would require having Smashwords’s coupon code to apply at checkout.