Steven R. Boyett's Blog, page 8

Rolling Sevens

My music podcasts, Podrunner and Groovelectric, turn seven in a week. No way I would have believed I'd keep doing them this long, much less that they would have remained so popular.

Groovelectric remains my favorite simply because, being a straight-up music mix series, it represents what I do, and love, and attempt, as an electronic music DJ. Since it debuted in February 2006, it's usually been in iTunes' Top 100 music podcasts.

Podrunner has been hugely popular. The workout-music series has been a top iTunes podcast for seven years in a row, and a pacemaker literally and figuratively. There was nothing like it out there when it debuted, and I am enormously proud of its popularity and positive influence.

I had to change the theme music for Podrunner, so I took the opportunity to dig out my old MIDI keyboard and brush up on my music production software before getting to work on new theme music. I'm pretty sure it's the first thing I've composed in a decade.

Even with guitar-rig sampler kits, I couldn't get a lead guitar sound I wanted for the opening notes. So I dug out my Univox imitation Les Paul guitar and played it myself. It's the first time I've recorded guitar in at least 20 years. I had an absolute blast doing it.

The new Podrunner theme is below if you want to give it a listen or download it.

Download audio file (podrunner_theme.mp3)

Download

Novel Collaboration

Ken & Steve are shown the gate

I've set aside Avalon Burning for a while to work on a novel with my friend Ken Mitchroney.

I've known Ken for nearly 30 years (ulp!), and we've worked on a ton of projects together -- from comic books, to screenplays, to Toy Story 2 and much more -- but this is the first time we've set out on a novel together.

I don't want to give too many details, though I will say that I now know more about the care and feeding of B-17 bombers than I ever imagined I would.

The novel's called Fata Morgana, and so far it is going pretty quickly. I am having an absolute blast.

“Hard Silver” — Free Download for Nook & Kindle!

Free for your e-book reader!

Subterranean Magazine editor Bill Schafer has made the Winter 2013 issue available as a free download in ePUB and Mobi format (that covers Nook, Kindle, & most other e-book readers). You can also download the Fall 2012 issue here.  This is a bodaciously cool thing for Bill to do!

Even more bodacious (and more cool), the Winter 2013 issue contains my dark fantasy/western novella "Hard Silver," so I'm even more stoked.

Go thou and do likewise.

Supercut Request #1

A supercut is a video remix that compiles similar scenes from several films. For instance, here is a supercut of scenes of Claire Danes crying:

Supercuts can also reference a single movie, as with this supercut of every utterance the word "dude" in The Big Lebowski:

One of the things I like about supercuts is that they can point out cliches that are everywhere in films (endess instances of "I've got a bad feeling about this," "I'm too old for this shit," etc.), weird quirks or consistencies of actors or directors (every Schwarzenegger scream, Bruce Willis looking confused, Michael Bay's circling cameras), or crass stupidities (too many to note here).

There are several supercuts I'd love to see someone put together. (I know I could do it myself, but I'm too damn lazy busy to acquire all the scenes for supercuts I'd like to see, much less learn whatever video software I'd need to edit them together).

First up is Supercuts of Scenes of Women Treating Injured Men (Especially When Followed by Kissing). One such scene in the utterly predictable Christian Bale/Mark Wahlberg vehicle The Fighter made me think this supercut needs to be done. I don't think it takes a lot of effort for most of us to come up with an embarrassing number of such scenes. One of the more famous (and one of the best) is from Raiders of the Lost Ark. I'd suggest more, but thinking of them is half the fun.

Feel free to offer up supercuts you'd like to see, or links to existing supercuts you like.

Always carry a spare

Escape Pod (detached)

I saw one of these parked on the side of the road today. At first I couldn't account for it, at least not in any rational way.

But then I realized that the latest monster SUVs -- maybe the Ford Excretion, or the Cadillac Escalate -- are now equipped with escape pods.

Think of it! In the event of accident or catastrophic failure, the sophisticated computer brain of the SUV seals the driver super-snug in this little emergency capsule, and then huffs him out of its injured behemoth body like last night's burrito.

Imagine the relief of the driver! Having escaped some vehicular calamity, he may now cautiously navigate amid traffic in relative safety, until help or an actual vehicle can be summoned.

There must be a built-in GPS transponder for search & rescue. Maybe even a remote control in case the driver is incapacitated. Flares and MRE packets and even a signal mirror.

A disposable vehicle! Truly we live in an age of marvels.

So how's your 2013 so far?

 

Banish’d Words & Phrases 2012

HEREWITH, the following Words and Phrases are ordered Banish'd from the common speech as Damning Evidence of groupthink, known to be detrimental to the Rever'd Gift of Free Will:

Drill down
Double down
Artisinal
Low-hanging fruit
I'm just saying (a perennial Banishment entry, alas)
Awesome sauce (or anything-sauce)
Meh
Douche (in an Adjectival state)
I think I threw up in my mouth a little (this Devil has resisted many previous Proclamations)
Threw him under the bus
Sustainable (most especially in reference to the marketing of Productes)
Bespoke
Man cave
Epic fail
Reboot
Not so much
Skin in the game

Special consideration is being given to explanatory sentences beginning with the word "So," as there seems to be a highly infectious plague of them among talk-show guests.

The gentle quality of Mercy suggests that users of such Banish'd Words and Phrases be treated not with Scorn or Derision but with heartfelt Pity, and generally Punish'd subsequent to their thoughtless usage by a downward Gaze and a small shake of the Head.

New (& Free!) Novelette at Subterranean

Subterranean has released my new novelette "Hard Silver" on their most excellent online magazine. It's an idea I've been wanting to do for many years, and I'm so glad I finally got around to writing it, because it was a big honkin' bag o' fun to do.

"Hard Silver" is a fantasy Western, and my take on two genre tropes that were destined to cross paths, but astonishingly never have till now (as far as I'm aware, anyhow).

Even better, it's free free FREE! So don't be shy -- read! Repost! Link! Let all the Intertubes behold its mighty presence! Bookmark it to jog your memory come awards time. Moo hoo, hah hah. (Did I mention that it's free?)

Rellik Reading Redux

You want to me to do requests?
At a reading?

Benicia Literary Arts and The Rellik Tavern are hosting another reading event at The Rellik in Benicia, California, on Saturday, November 17, 3:00 - 5:00 PM.

This one is called Speakeasy (more for the literalness of the name than from any association with Prohibition-era juice joints). I'm a featured reader along with mystery writer David Corbett and Benicia's Poet Laureate, Lois Requist.

There's also an open mic segment, which should be fun. The last reading at the Rellik was terrific (video here), and this one is shaping up to be even better.

Speakeasy

The Rellik Tavern

Saturday, Nov. 17, 3:00 - 5:00 PM

726 First Street

Benicia, CA 94510 (map)

Words & Grooves

The Litquake reading went very well, but the video did not. It turns out that when the little red light is lit, it means the camera is recording, and when it isn't lit, it isn't. Like I should know that?

The reading at Bookshop Benicia went well, considering that I was a bit off my game. I've had a cold all week, and was also still having an unpleasant conversation with the food poisoning I'd had since eight that morning. (So much for "Never complain, never explain.")

The culprit was a 7-Eleven burrito; I have only myself to blame. I seem to be very susceptible to the nasty little bugs that caper and cavort in late-night junk food, since I've had the pleasure of their company at least a couple dozen times.

Video of the reading will be posted soon. I broke a fever during it -- that ought to be fun to watch, huh?

Tonight is my DJ gig at the San Francisco Litquake closing party (see the sidebar). I don't plan to be feverish, coughing, or turning myself inside-out at any point during it. That will be a refreshing change of pace.

Off to Litquake

Today San Francisco is hosting the America's Cup, a Columbus Day parade, a bluegrass festival, Fleet Week, a Giants game, and a Blue Angels aerial show. Estimates are that a million extra people will be in San Francisco today.

At the same time, I'm reading at Litquake (see sidebar info). Coincidence? I think not. Still, calling out a Blue Angels flyover just for my reading seems a bit much. Even though I'm very flattered. Really.