Ryan Schneider's Blog, page 9

Last Call for The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle by Lisa S. Mason (@LisaSMason)

Last Call for The Philip K Dick Award Storybundleby Lisa Mason


Today, October 15, is the last day for The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!
The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).

Download yours today at http://www.storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays!
Thank you, Lisa. This has been an exciting series of blogs sharing the Philip K. Dick Award Storybundle. So many talented writers and so many fantastic books.
Let us know when the next Storybundle is available.
Until then, kids, grab this PKD bundle today if you haven't already. It really is one of a kind. And a bargain at twice the price. Buy it today.

Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist) is in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle (@sarah_zettel)

Reclamation
bySarah Zettel (PKD Finalist)
is in
The Philip K Dick AwardStorybundle
Set in the far future, RECLAMATIONcenters on The Realm of the Nameless Powers, a world so ravaged by age that only a portion of deep canyons is habitable. The Realm has degenerated into a harsh caste system and Middle Ages technology. Their religion strictly enforces the castes who can marry, and which children are allowed to live.
Eric Born is a lapsed priest and a son of one of the noble families. Like all members of the priesthood, he possesses very precise telekinetic abilities, but he also has the rare gift of healing. Stifled by the backward ways of The Realm, he escapes to make a new life among the stars. Since then, he has established himself as a freelance computer engineer. He is employed by the Rhudolant Vitae, space traders who travel between star systems trading their technological and management skills for raw materials and political influence. The Vitae's deepest desire is to find their native world, from which they were forced to flee many centuries ago. When Eric Born discovers that The Realm is that very world, his loyalties are split.Amazon.com Review

Imagine a distant future where human groups have colonized the galaxy, but where the earthly origins of the human race have been mysteriously forgotten. Several groups are pursuing a quest for the mythical "Home Ground," where human life began. Sarah Zettel's intriguing premise has a vital element of the best science fiction: it invites reflection on present reality while discussing an imagined future. Eric and Arla, migrants from a planetary backwater called the Realm, become central to the revelation of the truth, and their personal histories shed light on humanity's strange amnesia.From Publishers Weekly

Zettel's debut novel breaks little new ground, but SF fans will still enjoy it. Her heroes, telekinetic Eric Born and mysterious pariah Arla Stone, must save their home planet from factions trying to tear it apart. This quest places them directly in the path of the Vitae, one of the most powerful races in the galaxy. Zettel's writing is crisp, and the story moves at an appropriately rapid pace. Although the reader may occasionally get the sense that the dramatic situation is familiar, Zettel's deft action scenes and wry humor help smooth out the trouble spots.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Sarah Zettel is the award winning cross-genre author of thirty novels that cover the literary spectrum from science fiction and fantasy to Young Adult to Mystery and Romance. A self-described "third generation nerd," Zettel's science fiction has won her critical acclaim and the Philip K. Dick award for her novel BITTER ANGELS(written as C.L. Anderson). 
RECLAMATIONwas her debut novel and won Locus Magazine's Best First Novel award. 
You can find all her books in all her genres at www.sarahzettel.com
You must see this video of Sarah talking about girls and women who are fans of science fiction at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLiEQChjYeI
And you must watch this video of Sarah talking about women and their stories in science fiction at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N08_dvCxbIw

So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).

The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://www.storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
Thank you, Lisa. Another talented and respected writer in this storybundle.
Time is running out, folks. Purchase your Philip K. Dick Award Storybundle now.
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.

Other Renowned Authors Who Have Won the Philip K Dick Award #SFWApro by Lisa Mason (@LisaSMason)

Other Renowned Authors Who Have Won the Philip K Dick Award #SFWAproby Lisa Mason
It should also come as no surprise that other renowned authors and their books have been Philip K Dick Award Finalistsor Winners over the years since 1983.
The list reads like a Who’s Who of Science Fiction, such as Carnival, Undertow, and Chill by Elizabeth Bear, At the City Limits of Fate by Michael Bishop, Mindplayers by Pat Cadigan, Voyager in the Night by C.J. Cherryh, Artificial Things by Karen Joy Fowler, Neuromancer by William Gibson, Neon Lotus by Marc Laidlaw, The Remaking of Sigmund Freud by Barry N. Malzberg, Memoriesby Mike McQuay (deceased), The Scar by China Mieville, The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson, Subterranean Gallery, Carlucci’s Edge, Carlucci’s Heart, and Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo, Green Eyes and Life During Wartime by Lucius Shepard (deceased), Leviathan, Vol 3edited by Jeff VanderMeer, Millennium by John Varley, and Elivisseyby Jack Womack.
So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).



The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://www.storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
Thank you, Lisa. This is indeed a who's-who of science fiction. My to-be-read list just got a lot longer.
Only one day remaining, boys and girls, so purchase your Philip K Dick Award Storybundle now. Today. Now. You'll regret it if you don't. A month from now you'll be all like, "Man... I should've gotten that sweet Philp K Dick Storybundle. Now it's too late. Dang." And we'll be all like, "Yeah, pretty much." So, yeah. Buy it NOW.
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.

Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams is in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!

Knight Moves
byWalter Jon Williams
is inThe Philip K Dick AwardStorybundle!
A Philip K Dick Award-nominated novel.
Eight hundred years ago Doran Falkner gave humanity the stars, and he now lives with his regrets on a depopulated Earth among tumbledown ruins and ancient dreams brought to life by modern technology.
But word now comes that alien life has been discovered on a distant world, life so strange and impossible that the revelation of its secrets could change everything. A disillusioned knight on the chessboard of the gods, Doran must confront his own lost promise, his lost love, and his lost humanity, to make the move that will revive the fortunes both of humans and aliens . . .
“Knight Moves is an engrossing and evocative read, a tale of immortality and love and death rendered in a style that reminds me more than a little of the early Roger Zelazny. Williams’ people are intriguing and sympathetic, and his portrait of an Earth left transformed and empty by a humanity gone to the stars, where aliens dig among ancient ruins for old comic books while the creatures of legends stir and walk again, will linger in my memory for a long time. Williams is a writer to watch, and– more importantly– to read.”
–George R.R. Martin, author of Game of Thrones
“Knight Moves uses an unmatched cast of characters, human and otherwise, to tell an intriguing story.”
–Fred Saberhagen, author of the Book of Swords Trilogy
Walter Jon Williams is an award-winning author who has been listed on the best-seller lists of the New York Times and the Times of London.  He is the author of twenty-seven novels and three collections of short fiction.

His first novel to attract serious public attention was Hardwired (1986), described by Roger Zelazny as "a tough, sleek juggernaut of a story, punctuated by strobe-light movements, coursing to the wail of jets and the twang of steel guitars."  In 2001 he won a Nebula Award for his novelette, “Daddy’s World,” and won again in 2005 for “The Green Leopard Plague.”

Walter's subject matter has an unusually wide range, and include the glittering surfaces of Hardwired, the opulent tapestries of Aristoi, the bleak future police novel Days of Atonement,and the pensive young Mary Shelley of the novella "Wall, Stone, Craft," which was nominated for a Hugo, Nebula, and a World Fantasy Award.

He has also written for George RR Martin's Wild Cards project.

His latest work is The Fourth Wall, a near-future thriller set in the world of alternate reality gaming.

Walter has also written for comics, the screen, and for television, and has worked in the gaming field.  He was a writer for the alternate reality game Last Call Poker, and has scripted the mega-hit Spore.
For an interview with Walter, go to http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/feature-interview-walter-jon-williams/
For Walter’s sobering blog about his struggles with the writing of Knight Moves and his experiences after the book placed as a Philip K Dick Award Finalist, go to http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/2012/01/revisiting-knight-moves/
Walter has been blogging about writing for years and has passionate opinions. He ought to know! Here are some of his recent words of wisdom about the craft:
Walter discusses, with his usual humor, the role of family in fiction and particularly in genre fiction.
http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/2015/06/family/
Walter’s remarks on the autobiography of George Clinton and how funkadelic music has a lesson for writers.
http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/2015/03/lessons-for-writers-dr-funkenstein/
Walter discusses ambiguity in life and in fiction.
http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/2014/01/ambiguity/
Walter discusses what the phenomenal success of the Beatles can teach writers. Great insights!
http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/2014/02/lessons-for-writers-the-fab-four/
Walter talks idiot plots, idiot characters, and lazy writing. Get cracking!
http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/2015/01/trama-idiota/

So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).

The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://www.storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
Good stuff, Lisa. Another iconic writer in the PKD storybundle. Thank you!
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.

Unique and Diverse! The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle

Unique and Diverse!The Philip K Dick Award StorybundlebyLisa MasonAuthor of Summer of LoveandCurator ofthe Philip K. Dick Storybundle
What the authors and books of The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle share is the award itself, whether the book was a Finalist or Winner.
Above and beyond the prestige of the award—and the superb quality of the work—you will find a diverse array of protagonists to root for and startling worlds to visit.
In Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand, come to Araboth—the majestic, domed, multi-tiered city of the Ascendants as the once-in-a-decade Aestival Tide approaches and destruction looms.
In Life by Gwyneth Jones, meet Anna Senoz, a scientist who makes a momentous discovery about the X and Y chromosomes. Anna’s discovery provokes shocking reactions and impacts her career, her marriage, and her child.
In The Cipher by Kathe Koja, join Koja’s artists of the modern-day demimonde as they experiment with the mysterious, dangerous Funhole in a storage closet down the hall.
In Points of Departure by Pat Murphy, meet a chimpanzee whose brain is implanted with the personality of a young girl who has died, a farmer who grows a spouse from a packet of seed, a fortune-teller who learns that there's a difference between seeing the future and changing it, and more.
In Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter, root for the survivor of a lethal Manson-like cult as he searches for the son he once believed was dead and has reason to believe is still alive. Will he find the boy? And what will he find if he does?
In Summer of Love by Lisa Mason, run away to the Haight-Ashbury of 1967 where a teenage girl holds the key to the survival of the future. With the help of a half-black, half-white Hip merchant, a time-traveling young man from five hundred years in the future must find the girl and protect her life during the dangerous Summer of Love.
In Frontera by Lewis Shiner, travel to the lost Martian colony of Frontera with Reese, an aging hero of the US space program, as he discovers a secret so devastating that the new rulers of Earth will stop at nothing to own it.
In Acts of Conscience by William Barton, have a brewski with a politically incorrect orbital mechanic who must confront his own conscience and decide what, if anything, to do about the systematic destruction of a planet's intelligent species and his discovery of another species' own plans for humanity.
In Maximum Ice by Kay Kenyon, return from space after two-hundred-fifty years to an Earth nearly swallowed by a peculiar crystalline, ice-like substance and figure out how to survive amid Ice Nuns, snow witches, and renegade cannibals.
In Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams, visit a depopulated Earth eight hundred years in the future as Doran Falkner confronts his lost promise, his lost love, and his lost humanity, aliens dig among ancient ruins for old comic books, and the creatures of legends walk again thanks to modern technology. Will Doran make the right move?
In Reclamation by Sarah Zettel, explore a far future where human groups have colonized the galaxy, but seek their mythical “Home Ground.” Eric Born, a lapsed priest, has escaped to the stars but discovers the shocking secret of the Home Ground. A classic science fiction tale told in Sarah’s award-winning witty and fast-paced style.
So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).

The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://www.storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
Again, THANK YOU, Lisa, for curating this collection so everyone can enjoy it. Truly epic stuff.
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.

Maximum Ice by Kay Kenyon (PKD Finalist) is in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle! (@KayKenyon)

Maximum IcebyKay Kenyon(PKD Finalist)is in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!
They thought Earth would always abide. But it hadn't, not at all . . . .
Zoya Kundara has lived on the space vessel Star Road for 250 years. As Ship Mother, she is awakened from Deep Sleep in times of crisis, providing counsel to generations of its Romany crew. Now the starship has returned home, only to discover an Earth on the verge of extinction, blanketed in a crystalline substance called Ice. But it's not ice. This pearl-white mantle is a grand and mysterious ecology of information-bearing crystals. And it is relentlessly enclosing the last free lands.
To find a home for her crew, Zoya must approach the denizens of this strange new Earth. She will discover the Ice Nuns, who seek sole control of the physics-defying crystals; people huddled like moles in underground techno-warrens; and the snow witches, creatures of Ice, both mad and prophetic . . . and one snow witch in particular, who will defend the kingdom of Ice with power and immortal cunning.
From Library Journal

The generation ship Star Road returns to Earth after 250 years to revitalize its failing population and discovers that the planet is enveloped in a crystalline substance referred to as Ice. Zoya Kundara, the Ship Mother, acts as emissary to the planet's underground inhabitants, hoping against hope to find a way to rescue Earth and her own people from extinction. The author of The Seeds of Time and Leap Point delivers an ecological adventure set against an Earth peopled by Ice Nuns, snow witches, and renegade cannibals. For most sf collections.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist

It has been 250 years since Zoya's starship left Earth, and upon finally returning, the crew discovers a planet nearly swallowed by a peculiar crystalline, icelike substance. As Ship Mother, Zoya has spent most of the long years in suspended animation, wakening occasionally to reconnect with the crew, an extended Romany family that fled after being scapegoated for a virulent plague. They are desperate to rebuild their lives on Earth, but communications with its few surviving inhabitants, who live in stinking warrens under the ice's surface, don't bode well. Then a transmission from a mysterious community called the Ice Nuns, which claims to be studying the ice as an information storage medium, entices Zoya down to the surface to investigate. Unbeknownst to her, Swan, an old enemy of the Rom, still wanders the surface, and when he hears of their return, he vows a singular, bloody vengeance for the deaths of his family. A vivid cast of characters, some interesting asides on religious authority, and the bleakly beautiful landscape make this a uniquely powerful tale reminiscent of Greg Bear. Roberta Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association.
Kay Kenyon is best known for her world building. Her science fiction and fantasy novels all develop out of a Place, a memorable and alluring geography, habitat, or magical kingdom. She then discovers who lives there, and why. And so the stories begin.
Her most recent novel is the fantasy Queen of the Deep, about an aspiring actress who opens a door onto a strange Renaissance kingdom. Her previous fantasy was A Thousand Perfect Things.
Kay has been a finalist for the Philip K. Dickand the John W. Campbell Memorial Awards, and twice for the ALA Reading List awards. Her science fiction includes the acclaimed series "The Entire and The Rose." Some of her early science fiction, such as Maximum Ice, has now been reissued in eBook, with what the author thinks are some of her best covers ever. Five of her short stories, including The Last Wave and The Book of Faces, are available as separate e-releases on Amazon.
Kay lives with her husband in Wenatchee Washington, and is a founding member of Write on the River, dedicated to helping aspiring writers improve their craft and navigate the writing life. 
Find out her latest news on her blog and website: http://www.kaykenyon.com, follow her on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KayKenyon, connect with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook/kay.kenyon, or sign up for her newsletter on her website.
So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).



The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://www.storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
Thanks, Lisa. So many talented and accomplished authors in this Storybundle.
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.

Authors and Books with Recognition and Multiple Awards are in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!

Authors and Books with Recognition and Multiple Awards are in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!by Lisa Mason It should come as no surprise that the authors participating in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle and their books have received recognition and awards in addition to the Philip K Dick Award.
Elizabeth Hand has received the Nebula, World Fantasy, Mythopeoic, Tiptree, and International Horror Guild Awards, and her novels have been chosen as New York Times and Washington Post Notable Books. She’s been a Philip K Dick Award Finalist three times.
Gwyneth Jones has won two World Fantasy awards, the Children of the Night award, the BSFA award and the Pilgrim award for Science Fiction criticism.
Novels of Lisa Masonhave been chosen as a New York Times Notable Book, a New York Public Library Recommended Book, and a San Francisco Chronicle Recommended Book.
Kay Kenyon has been a finalist for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award and chosen twice for the ALA Reading List.
Pat Murphy’s Nebula Award-winning story"Rachel in Love" is included in Points of Departure and she won a Nebulafor her novel, The Falling Woman. Her fiction has also won the World Fantasy Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Seiun Award.
Stories and books by Lewis Shiner have frequently been short-listed for the Nebula and the Hugo Awards.
Walter Jon Williams has appeared on the best-seller lists of the New York Times and the Times of London, won a Nebula Award for his novelette, “Daddy’s World,” and won the Nebulaagain for “The Green Leopard Plague,” and was nominated for a Hugo, Nebula, and a World Fantasy Award.
William Barton has been a Philip K. Dick Finalist three times.
And Kathe Koja’s The Cipher not only placed as a PKD Award Finalist but also won the Bram Stoker Award and was recently named one of io9.com's Top 10 Debut Science Fiction Novels That Took the World By Storm.
Sarah Zettel won critical acclaim and the Philip K. Dick Award for her novel BITTER ANGELS (written as C.L. Anderson). RECLAMATION was her debut novel, was a Philip K. Dick Award Finalist, and won Locus Magazine's Best First Novel award.
So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).

The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://www.storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
Thank you once again, Lisa. Truly a talented group of writers and a collection of books worth reading. Everyone should grab this bundle of books.
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.

Acts Of Conscience by William Barton is in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!

Acts Of ConsciencebyWilliam Bartonis inThe Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!
This is the story of Gaetan du Cheyne, Class 10 Spatial Machinery Mechanic at the great spaceship refit station known as Stardock. Gaetan du Cheyne. No mother, no father, no children, no wife, no friends, no home, no nothing. Just a job. An empty man, a hollow man, paid well enough for his complex skills that, when he's not consuming a steady diet of net porn, he gets to play the stock market. Until, one fine day, he finds himself in possession of a prototype FTL starship, and goes out among the worlds in search of... something. Anything. Maybe only the lost, empty dreams that were all he had as a child, dreams that deserted him as an adult. What he finds, in the end, if you can understand the man, if you can understand his lost dreams, may change you forever, if you're lucky.
Amazon.com Review

Science fiction and fantasy have antiheros aplenty. Think Thomas Covenant, Frankenstein's monster, or Alex from A Clockwork Orange. Add Gaetan "Don't Call Me Gae" du Cheyne, the protagonist of Acts of Conscience, to the list. Gaetan is an ordinary, self-involved, maybe-misogynistic orbital mechanic. He drinks, obsesses about women (as objects of his impotent lust), and irritates people. But oh, how realistic Gaetan is--a masterful characterization by William Barton. In fact, Gaetan's thoughts are almost too human and scattered, and Barton relies on ellipses rather heavily ... when writing what's going on in Gaetan's head.When Gaetan's forgotten investments turn him into the sole owner of a faster-than-light spaceship, he flees his pathetic life and heads to planet Green Heaven to seek out the adventure and excitement he's craved. Instead, his journey reveals only the intergalactic depredations of men just like himself--brutal rapes, senseless killing, eradication of cultures and ecologies. He also discovers an ancient alien civilization contemplating the eradication of humanity. What's an honest antihero to do?

Acts of Conscience received a special mention in the 1997 Philip K. Dick Awards.--Therese Littleton
With insight and intelligence, Barton (When Heaven Fell) describes a series of moral dilemmas with no easy solutions confronting Gaetan du Cheyne, his bored, troubled 26th-century protagonist. The fortuitous beneficiary of a stockmarket power play, du Cheyne becomes the proud owner of a faster-than-light prototype spaceship with which he plans to explore the starry skies. Wisely, however, Barton resists the urge to turn this into another celestial picaresque, creating instead a deeply disturbing tale of a young man whose past troubles stand in the way of his ability to know or do what is right. In fact, in spite of the spaceship device, Gaetan's journey is a psychological, not a physical one. The ethical challenges he faces all occur on the ironically named world of Green Heaven, where he must decide what, if anything, to do about the systematic destruction of the planet's intelligent species and his discovery of another species' own plans for humanity. There is an intense and intensely pleasurable display of erudition, writerly tact and hard psychological realism as du Cheyne confronts difficult questions about exploitation and survival, evolutionary reality and moral righteousness. There are no obvious answers, but there is a fascinating work of science fiction that easily rises above the stock-in-trade.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc
William Barton was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1950, during the first year of the Korean War, and not long after Edgar Rice Burroughs left for Barsoom, and it was all downhill from there. He grew up in Marumsco Village, one of those wonderfully empty-looking suburbs concealing strange nooks and crannies the developers had failed to bulldoze under, places that became a host of imaginary worlds. Having more or less grown up, he tried college, flunked out, tried again, flunked out again, married a few times, at least one child, etc. Became a marine machinery mechanic (nuclear submarines were involved), quit that at the dawn of the modern computing era to become what's called a software architect, and... well. Somewhere along the way, fell back into those imaginary worlds that were so much more satisfactory than real life. His first novel, Hunting On Kunderer, was published in 1973, followed by dozens more novels and short stories over the ensuing years, including Hugo Award finalist “Age of Aquarius.” If you like Acts of Conscience , he wishes you would read Crimson Darkness,the story he first dreamed of telling while lurking in the woods near Marumsco Village a half-century ago. Kaor.
Links:
main website:
http://williambarton.com/
Conlang Website:
http://venusworld.conlang.org
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/William-Barton/e/B000APTDZ8/
Discussion Group:
http://webnews.sff.net/read?cmd=xover&group=sff.people.william-barton&from=-10
So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher by Kathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love byLisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).

The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://www.storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
Thanks, Lisa. So many talented and accomplished authors in this Storybundle.
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.

How I Chose the Books for The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle! by Lisa Mason (@LisaSMason)

How I Chose the BooksforThe Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!
byLisa Mason
As a 2016 PKD Award judge, I had access to the master list of Finalists and Winners going back to 1983, when the award was inaugurated.
When Storybundle agreed  to do a Philip K Dick Award Storybundle comprised of Finalists and Winners, I researched the authors on that list.
I chose these authors and books because they meet the following criteria:
1. They weren’t dead (that’s a joke);
2. They have an ebook of their Philip K Dick Award Finalist or Winner;
3. They and their publishers were technically able to participate in StoryBundle’s DRM-free environment.
You would be surprised how many authors going back to 1983 couldn’t meet those simple criteria, including the first.
I’m delighted and thankful for this list. I’ve read all of the authors’ works, often first as magazine stories, and met several at conventions and parties. I truly encourage you to enjoy these wonderful books as much as I do.
So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).

The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
Thanks, Lisa!
A lot of time and effort went into putting this event together. We thank you!
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.

Frontera by Lewis Shiner (@lewisshiner) is in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!

Frontera
byLewis Shiner
is in The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle!
The Cyberpunk classic and Nebula Award finalist in the revised, definitive edition.
Ten years ago the world's governments collapsed, and now the corporations are in control. Houston's Pulsystems has sent an expedition to the lost Martian colony of Frontera to search for survivors. Reese, aging hero of the US space program, knows better. The colonists are not only alive, they have discovered a secret so devastating that the new rulers of Earth will stop at nothing to own it. Reese is equally desperate to use it for his own very personal agenda. But none of them have reckoned with Kane, tortured veteran of the corporate wars, whose hallucinatory voices are urging him to complete an ancient cycle of heroism and alter the destiny of the human race.
''Lewis Shiner's Frontera is an extraordinarily accomplished first novel . . . his pacing is brisk, his scientific extrapolation well-informed and plausible, and his characterization nothing short of outstanding . . . This is 'realism' of a sort seldom found in either commercial or literary fiction; to find it in a first novel makes one eager for more.''
--Chicago Sun-Times
''Hard-edged and colorful and relentless, and altogether a compelling read.''
--George R. R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the international bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for its dramatic series Game of Thrones
''One of the genre's more arresting books.''
--Rolling Stone
"Frontera rises to literary art, first because several viewpoint characters are rendered with skill and sensitivity as complex people, and second because Kane, the central combat-capable figure, is a poor bastard who’s had his head screwed with in various unpleasant ways, so that he is both hero and victim, doing his deeds of derring-do as best he can with a headful of broken glass.”--Norman SpinradAbout the AuthorLewis Shiner is the author of the award-winning novel Glimpses, available in trade paperback from Subterranean Press. Included in the same series of Definitive Editions are his novels Black & White, Dark Tangos, Deserted Cities of the Heart, Frontera,Say Goodbye, and Slam. Subterranean has also published his career-spanning short fiction volume, Collected Stories. He lives in North Carolina, USA.
For more information, see www.lewisshiner.com .
So there you have it, my friends. The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle includes Aestival Tide by Elizabeth Hand (PKD Finalist), Life by Gwyneth Jones (PKD Winner), The Cipher byKathe Koja (PKD Finalist), Points of Departure by Pat Murphy (PKD Winner), Dark Seeker by K. W. Jeter (PKD Finalist), Summer of Love by Lisa Mason (PKD Finalist), Frontera by Lewis Shiner (PKD Finalist), Acts of Conscience by William Barton (PKD Special Citation), Maximum Ice byKay Kenyon (PKD Finalist), Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams (PKD Finalist), and Reclamation by Sarah Zettel (PKD Finalist).

The Philip K Dick Award Storybundle runs only until October 15. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Download yours today at http://storybundle.com/pkdaward and enjoy world-class, award-winning reading right now and into the holidays.
And for more kick-ass sci-fi, check out my novel EYE CANDY. It's a sweet, romantic, daring adventure with an ensemble of characters you'll love. And follow me on Instagram for daily writing inspiration and sneak peeks of my work.